Chen Yiqin/ Shanghai Daily news

Shanghai Mayor Han Zheng yesterday met with a delegation led by Ole Von Beust, the Mayor of the German port city of Hamburg and welcomed the city's participation in the "Urban Best Practices Area" of World Expo 2010 Shanghai.

Han extended a warm welcome to the delegation on behalf of the municipal government and Shanghai people.

Han said Shanghai and Hamburg established the sister relationship in 1986. In the past two decades, the two cities have had a great deal of exchange and communication in the fields trade, port activities, culture, education, training, urban construction, tourism, medical services, technology and environmental protection.

Hamburg is one of the cities which have the closest relationship with Shanghai among its 66 sister cities, Han said.

Han welcomed Hamburg's participation in the Urban Best Practices Area where it could display advanced practices and technologies during the city's urban construction.

Beust thanked Han for his hospitality. Beust said he could feel the impact of Shanghai's latest achievements every time he came to the city. He hoped two cities could enhance the communication based on the current good relationship.