On 20 March 2014, at the age of 71, Iñaki Azkuna, Mayor of the City of Bilbao, Spain, passed away.

With a background in medicine, Mr. Azkuna integrated local politics life in 1999 when he was elected mayor of Bilbao.

In 2012 he was awarded the World Mayor Prize by the City Mayors Foundation for being the year’s most outstanding mayor. Upon receiving the prize, Askuna underlined the importance of involving citizens in new city development projects.