BATON ROUGE - Representatives from 30 cities along the Mississippi River met in Baton Rouge this week to encourage greater business and community connections.  

The Mississippi River Cities and Towns Initiative is an association of "local governments from across the Mississippi River Valley that came together in 2012 to create a new, influential and independent voice for the region," according to MRCTI's website.

Over 170 people attended the 13th conference along with mayors from 30 cities around the nation.

"(This is) a cooperative endeavor agreement is being signed by the chairs of the Corn Belt ports and also the five ports along the Mississippi River in Louisiana and really the Mississippi River Cities and Towns Initiative has been our inspiration, for all of us, before we united the cities through the Mississippi River Cities and Towns Initiative, now we are uniting the ports from one end of the river to the other," Robert Sinkler, Corn Belt Ports executive coordinating director, said at the event.

MRCTI convened this year to announce several new partnerships and unveil new cooperative initiatives to face the challenges of the river community and ensure the prosperity of the Mississippi River corridor.

"Among the announcements will be the cooperative agreement from the Mississippi River ports from St. Paul to New Orleans seeking federal recognition of ports between St. Louis and St. Paul. Mayors will also call upon the 47th President of the United States, regardless of party or person, to focus federal policy towards the Mississippi River and its vital role, as well as other announcements," the group said.