Boston Mayor Michelle Wu is heading to Germany this week. Here’s why

Boston Mayor Michelle Wu is heading to Germany this week, where she is scheduled to speak at the Munich Security Conference.

This is the first time the conference has focused on city leadership, and Wu is scheduled to speak on Saturday as part of a panel on leadership and diplomacy that will also feature Mayor Vitali Klitschko of Kyiv, Ukraine, and Mayor Rafal Trzaskowski, of Warsaw, Poland. Klitschko, the former heavyweight boxing world champion, is expected to participate virtually.

The conversation will mark the first all-mayor panel at the Munich Security Conference, a global gathering of leaders focused on international security and collaboration. Wu is the first American mayor invited to participate.

“Boston is a leading global city, and it’s an honor to be invited to share our progress at this important global forum for democracy and international collaboration,” Wu said in a statement. “Our city is known around the world as a beacon for freedom, and I look forward to connecting with leaders in government, business, education, and more to encourage greater investment in Boston and partnership for our shared future.”

The Alliance for Local Leaders International, which is facilitating the discussion, is paying for Wu and two of her aides to attend the conference, according to The Boston Globe.

Wu also traveled to Nova Scotia in November in an effort to strengthen Boston’s ties to Canada and receive the annual Boston Common Christmas tree.