LA Mayor Karen Bass signs agreement with Paris suburb mayor ahead of Olympics

LOS ANGELES - Mayor Karen Bass signed an agreement with the mayor of a Paris suburb Saturday to collaborate on multiple issues as Paris and Los Angeles prepare to host the next two summer Olympics.

Bass, who is leading a delegation of city officials in Paris this weekend, signed and agreement with Saint-Ouen-sur-Seine Mayor Karim Bouamrane ahead of the Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games "to formalize collaborating on our shared priorities for youth, the environment, sports, and culture and to share knowledge from the 2024 Games in Paris in order to adequately prepare," according to a statement from the Mayor's Office.

Saint-Ouen-sur-Seine is a suburb just north of Paris, bordering Saint- Denis, and home to the newly inaugurated Olympic and Paralympic Athlete Village for Paris 24.

Among the points of the agreement:

• Both parties agree to cooperate in the fields of youth, sustainability, sports and culture, with the aim of developing joint projects that promote the exchange of know-how and best practices, as well as the promotion of common values.
• Both parties commit to encouraging exchanges among young people through educational programs, cultural exchanges, and projects aimed at enhancing the civic engagement of young citizens.
• Saint-Ouen-sur-Seine and Los Angeles will cooperate to promote sustainability initiatives, such as environmental awareness programs and the promotion of renewable energies.
• Both cities commit to facilitating sports exchanges among their residents, organizing joint sports events and promoting sports as a tool for social cohesion.
• Saint-Ouen-sur-Seine and Los Angeles will implement actions to promote and valorize their respective cultural heritage, including artistic events, exhibitions and cultural exchange programs.

Bass, City Council President Paul Krekorian, council members Traci Park and Katy Yaroslavsky, Metro CEO Stephanie Wiggins, LA84 Foundation President and CEO Renata Simril and Priscilla Cheng, senior vice president for government relations at LA28, left for Paris on Wednesday for the five-day trip.

The three City Council members in the delegation sit on the Ad Hoc Committee for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

On Friday, the delegation toured a shelter for unhoused women in Paris' City Hall as well as La Fabrique de la Solidarité, which specializes in distribution of basic necessities and support for seniors. La Fabrique also provides training courses for volunteers, coordinates donations of money, clothes and other supplies and provides information and resources for members of the unhoused community.

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The delegation was briefed regarding how Paris hopes to confront homelessness before the Games begin July 24.

The delegation is also scheduled Saturday to tour the Olympic and Paralympic Village and the arena that will be used for badminton, rhythmic gymnastics, para-badminton and para-powerlifting.

They'll also meet Saturday with Mayor Mathieu Hanotin of Saint-Denis to discuss preparations in his city to host the Olympic athletes as well as the legacy the Olympics will leave for Saint-Denis and its people and its impact on urban planning and housing, according to a spokesman for Bass.

Also on the agenda is a tour of the Adidas Arena. Also known as Porte de La Chapelle Arena, the Adidas Arena is a newly constructed 8,000-capacity sport and concert venue that will be used for badminton, rhythmic gymnastics, para-badminton and para-powerlifting in the 2024 games.

The delegation is expected to return to Los Angeles on Sunday.