St. George’s Day is not only a City Day of Kragujevac, but also a day of gratitude for everything that our ancestors left us as a legacy. On this day we remember how in 1818 Kragujevac took a big step into the future by being declared the capital city of modern Serbia. However, Kragujevac is not only a city with a glorious past, but also a city with a great potential for the future of Serbia, said Mayor Nikola Dašić at the reception for delegations of friends and sister cities.
The family of sister cities of Kragujevac consists of 29 Twinning Charters and Protocols on Friendship and Cooperation with cities around the world, and this year, the mayor reminded, a Twinning Agreement was signed with the City of Milwaukee from the USA. The family is soon joined by Katerini from Greece and Guanajuato from Mexico. All of them are our priceless treasure, Mayor Dašić said.
At the reception, a Memorandum was signed on the continuation of cooperation between Kragujevac and Xi'an from China, which began in 2016. The Memorandum was signed by Mayor Nikola Dašić and Executive Deputy Mayor of the People's Government of Xi'an, Liu Laisheng.
The relationship between China and Serbia is based on shared experiences of cooperation and lasting friendship. The official twinning of Xi'an and Kragujevac in 2016 marked the beginning of a new chapter in our cooperation, said Laisheng, emphasizing that Xi'an is a great friend of the city of Kragujevac and a valuable starting point of the Silk Road. The Belt and Road Initiative brought Xi'an to the forefront of Chinese efforts aimed at developing relations with Europe, and part of the activity is focused on fostering deeper practical cooperation and exchange between Kragujevac and Xi'an.
For Xi'an, the role of Kragujevac in the history of Serbia is very important, as well as its geographical location, said Laisheng, expressing his belief that these two cities are not only linked by unshakable friendship, but also by a huge potential for cooperation in cultural exchange, tourism, logistics and healthcare. I hope, added Laisheng, that with the signed Memorandum we will expand cooperation even more in order to promote mutual prosperity.
The reception was attended by representatives of Bar, Foča, Ingolstadt, the South Moravian Region, Pitesti, Jericho, the Greek city of Katerini and the representatives of the Sports Association of Mostar.
