site.btaBulgaria’s Razgrad Twins with China’s Yangzhou as the Two Cities Restore Official Friendly Relations

A twinning agreement between Razgrad in Bulgaria and Yangzhou in China was signed in the Bulgarian capital Sofia, the local government in Razgrad reported on Wednesday. The deal provides opportunities for cooperation in the economy, education and culture, among other areas.

The signing took place during the first ever regional cooperation conference between Bulgaria and China. It was held in Sofia, organized by the “One Belt, One Road” Bulgarian National Association in collaboration with the Chinese Embassy in Sofia, the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, and the National Association of Municipalities in the Republic of Bulgaria (NAMRB).

Mayors of 30 Bulgarian municipalities and representatives of 10 Chinese cities took part in the conference. Razgrad was represented by its Mayor Dobrin Dobrev and Deputy Mayor Elka Nedelcheva. On behalf of the Bulgarian side, the event was opened by “One Belt, One Road” Association President Zahari Zahariev, Regional Development and Public Works Minister Ivan Ivanov and NAMRB Vice President Donka Mihaylova. For the Chinese side, the opening address was given by Ambassador Dai Qingli.

In addition to the twinning agreement, Razgrad sighed a plan for cooperation with the Eastern Chinese city for the period 2026-2028. In this way, the two urban centres officially restored their friendly relations, which began more than 20 years ago.

After the signing ceremony, the delegations from Razgrad and Yangzhou held a bilateral meeting, at which they discussed possibilities for cooperation and exchange in the fields of the economy, education, culture, etc. They expressed their shared intention to expand bilateral partnership through business-to-business contacts.

The local government of Razgrad said that promoting international cooperation is one of its priorities.