Burgas and the Chinese city of Dalian officially took the first step towards establishing a twinning agreement, signing a Memorandum of Friendship.
The significant event took place within a conference dedicated to the tenth anniversary of the "One Belt, One Road" initiative, a forum organized to promote regional cooperation between Bulgaria and China.
The event was organized by the Chinese People"s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, the National Association of Municipalities in the Republic of Bulgaria, the National Association "One Belt, One Road" and the Embassy of China in Bulgaria.
The event is important as it marks the beginning of a potentially fruitful partnership between two cities with different, but mutually complementary, development potentials.
On behalf of the Burgas Municipality, the Memorandum was signed by the Deputy Mayor for Strategic Development, Ecology, Digitalization and Climate Change Adaptation. On behalf of Dalian, it was signed by Deputy General Secretary Zhang Xiaofen.
The signing took place in a solemn atmosphere, marked by highlighting the similarities between the two cities and the potential for future joint projects.
Special attention was paid to opportunities for cooperation in key sectors such as trade, transport and logistics, tourism, education and waste management.
Dalian was presented as a successful example of 100% waste utilization through recycling, aspects that represent an important focus for the sustainable development of cities and potentially for the exchange of experience and best practices.
The Deputy Mayor presented to the Chinese partners the ambitious development program for Burgas, encompassing infrastructure modernization, investments in education, cultural projects and environmental initiatives.
Special attention was paid to the construction of a new, modern children"s hospital, demonstrating the municipality"s commitment to social investments.
The way Burgas presented its priorities clearly shows the aspiration to build a modern, sustainable city striving for integration into global processes, seeking cooperation with other cities around the world to achieve these goals.
The Memorandum can be considered an important element of Burgas" strategy for attracting foreign investment and exchanging best practices.
The partnership with Dalian is strategically significant and demonstrates the potential for closer cooperation between Bulgarian municipalities and Chinese partners in the context of the "One Belt, One Road" initiative, although it is important to carefully monitor potential risks and imbalances that could arise from this cooperation.