The Association Cities Heirs of Byzantium will be created at the initiative of the Foundation Metropoli and of the Italian cities with cultural monuments of Byzantium. Their support to the Association Cities Heirs of Byzantium ACEB has already expressed such public institutions as the Italian Ministry of Economic Development and the Association of Italian Cities ANCI, as well as the leadership of more than 20 cities in Italy: Assisi, Acireale, Bari, Savoca, Dozza, Otranto, Castelli, Mondolfo, Palermo, Taormina, Cefalu and others. There are a significant number of cultural monuments of Byzantium in Italy, Russian culture is also shaped by its influence and carries the Byzantine tradition. The study and preservation of cultural heritage of Byzantium, the monuments of this culture in Italy and Russia is another opportunity to bring the world's attention to the beauty of Italy and Russia, their wealth of historical and cultural heritage.

At the meeting, the head of the city of Velikiy Novgorod Yuri Bobryshev and the President of the Foundation Metropoli Igor Danilov emphasized that one of the purposes of participation of Velikiy Novgorod in the Association Cities Heirs of Byzantium is also a presentation to the world community of the rich cultural heritage of Velikiy Novgorod in order to attract investment and tourism to the city.