Partner cities
INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION
The international cooperation activities of Sliven Municipality are realized in conformity with an annual programme for international cooperation and Euro- integration for 2003, adopted by the Municipal council.
The international activity on local and regional level is a significant element of the European and international politics; it approves to be a means of development of the Municipalities and represents an important part of the regional politics.
Sliven Municipality maintains contacts and realizes joint activities with diplomatic missions and international organizations, represents the city before the international institutions, organizations, embassies and foreign cities, at national and international forums.
Amongst the most important priorities of the programme is to maintain international contacts of Sliven Municipality with the partner cities and the extension of the partnership network with main emphasis on economic development. Particular attention is paid to the participation in Euro-integration processes, the establishment of conditions for project preparation and the participation of Sliven Municipality in national and international competitions.
Sliven Municipality maintains relations with 10 partner cities from Europe and Asia and tries to establish conditions for international cooperation, to be realized through precise ideas on large institutional and civil basis in the field of business, the improvement of investments climate, citizen’s services, education, culture, social activities and protection of the environment.
PARTNER CITIES OF SLIVEN MUNICIPALITY
GERA – GERMANY
Website: www.gera.de
The partnership between Sliven and Gera dates back from 1965. On 15.06.1997 a new cooperation contract is signed.
The city of Gera is situated in the Turingia region in the Southeast part of Germany. The territory of Gera is 4 000 sq. km with a population of 128 000 inhabitants. The first data for the existence of the city is from 955. Leading in the economy of the city are the textiles industry, the machine building, and electronics, as well as the production of laser and medical machines. The cooperation with the city of Gera is realized mainly by joint projects on programmes of the European Union.
TERNOPOL – UKRAINE
Website: www.tmrada.gov.ua
More than 30 years continues the partnership between Sliven and Ternopol. The first contacts with the Ukrainian city have been established in 1969.
The town of Ternopol is situated in West Ukraine. Its population is 220 000. The city is an agricultural centre for production of sugar-beet; it has highly developed electro technical and food industry. Here is one of the biggest integrated plants for cotton textiles in the country. The town has also higher medical and pedagogical institutes.
PECH – HUNGARY
Website: www.pecs.hu
The relations between Pech and Sliven date back from 1969. The collaboration contract is actualized in May 2001 and in the end of 2002 a programme for joint activity is adopted for the year of 2003. The cooperation is realized in a wide range of activities, exchange of groups and joint projects development.
The city of Pech is situated in the Barania region in the Southwest part of Hungary, its population is 170 000. Pech is famous with the porcelain ware of the “Jonlai” factory, with more than 200 years of history. In Pech are produced coals, the food industry is developed as well as the production of wine and beer.
Because of its cultural and historical inheritance, the town of Pech is declared for a museum city and is under the protection of UNESCO. Pech is amongst the founders of the international organization for preservation and protection of the cultural monuments AVEC.
KESARIANI – GREECE
Website: www.kessariani.gr
The relations with the Municipality of Kesariani are from 1985, when is signed the first cooperation program with Sliven Municipality.
This is one of the 26 Municipalities of the Capital of Greece – Athens. Its population is 26 000. On the territory of the Municipality there are no industrial facilities. Here is one of the biggest hotels in the capital, the five stars “Kavarel”. The joint activity of the two Municipalities is focused mainly in the field of culture, art and sports.
VORONEJ – RUSSIA
Website: www.voronezh-city.ru
The partnership with the city of Voronej is from 1995. With its population of 1 040 000, Voronej is a regional city situated in the Central Chernozem region of Russia, 600 km South of Moscow.
Voronej is a centre of the machine building industry and the electronics, production of aircraft and rocket building is situated here.
The city is a university centre with a state university and other 14 institutions of higher education.
Voronej is a partner with the city of Chuncin in China. This bilateral cooperation has led to the newest friendship of Sliven with the same Chinese city.
CHUNCIN – CHINA
Website: www.cq.gov.cn
This is the new partner city of Sliven Municipality. The cooperation contract is signed in November 2002. Chuncin is a Chinese mega police with a population of 7 million, situated in the Southwest part of the country on the banks of Yangze River. The city is one of the four autonomous cities in China. Determining for its economy are the automobile industry and the electronics, the chemical and the pharmaceutical industry, the metallurgy /steel and aluminum/ and the food, wine and tobacco industries. There are 160 000 enterprises in the city, 25 institutions of higher education, over 1000 research institutes with 400 000 scientific workers.
The cooperation with the city of Chuncin is directed mainly towards the establishment of favourable business relations with companies with similar production.
ALBA IULIA - ROMANIA
Website: www.apulum.ro
The partnership between Sliven and Alba Iulia is a result of joint work on the project “Aqua fil” on the European Union programme “Ecos Ouverture”. The cooperation contract between the two cities is signed in June 2002.
Alba Iulia is situated in the region of Transylvania in the Northwest part of Romania. The population of the town is 80 000.
Alba Iulia is a centre of the porcelain and the textile industry, here are also the biggest gold mines in Romania in which concessionaires are one of the most powerful Canadian and Australian companies for gold production.
The co operation with the Romanian city is realized by joint projects on European Union programmes and by exchange of cultural delegations.
SVETLOGORSK – BELARUS
Website: www.svetlogorsk.by
The relations between Sliven and Svetlogorsk are from 1997, when a Covenant for cooperation is signed.
Svetlogorsk is situated in the central part of the country in the Homyel region. The city has a population of 70 000 inhabitants with an average age of 35. Svetlogorsk is founded in 1961 as a centre of the chemical industry. Here are situated the biggest in Belarus cellulose-cardboard mill and the mill for artificial chemical fibres.
TEKIRDAG – TURKEY
Website: www.tekirdag.bel.tr
The relations between Tekirdag and Sliven start in 1998, when a cooperation contract is signed.
The city is situated on the Coast of Marmora Sea, 150 km West from Istanbul. Its population is about 160 000. The city has its own port and light industry, tourism and agriculture are developed. Only in the field of trade and services there about 560 registered companies.
In the vicinities of Tekirdag along the seaside are built many country house villages mainly by Istanbul inhabitants.
The relations of the two cities embrace a wide range of activities: economical, cultural, sports, there are already many bilateral contracts signed between schools in Sliven and Tekirdag.
JARASH – JORDAN
Website: www.jerash.gov.jo
Sliven Municipality and the city of Jarash signed a cooperation agreement on the 6th of June 2004.
In August 2004 folk song and dance group “Sliven” participated in the international festival of arts, which takes place every year in Jarash.
In September 2004, Sliven Municipality was visited by an official delegation from the Kingdom of Jordan. During the meetings and the discussions, the two cities laid the beginnings of active relations in the field of economy, tourism, education and culture.
JOINT ACTIVITIES
TRADITIONAL
1. Investment forum on subject “Sliven – investment with prospects” – 24.10.2002
In the first edition of the forum took part representatives of eight out of ten partner cities of Sliven. The main task of the activity was to outline to the business circles and the Municipal administrations of partner cities the abilities of Sliven with a view to investing in new productions or revitalization of traditional economic branches. The idea is the forum to specialize itself in different directions, determinate as strategic for the industrial development of Sliven.
2. Day of the partner cities – 25th of October
Held for the first time on 25.10.2002 with the participation of eight partner cities and ended with the signing of a joint final memorandum.
The maintenance of active contacts between Sliven Municipality and its ten partner cities led to the determination of the 25th of October as a day of the partner cities. On this day representatives of the Municipal leaderships of the partner cities meet and discuss together the forth coming bilateral activity programmes for the next year, agree on the participation in joint projects, exchange of citizens and participation in international activities. The aim is to extend the contacts and these contacts to be useful for the inhabitants of the partner cities. Thus Sliven becomes a specific link between Europe and Asia, between the European cites, the cities of Russia and CIS.
