ISTOČNO SARAJEVO AND LANZHOU SIGN MEMORANDUM ON COOPERATION

ISTOČNO SARAJEVO, JULY 10 /SRNA/ – The Chinese city of Lanzhou and Istočno Sarajevo signed a Memorandum of Understanding today on cooperation and exchanges in the fields of tourism and culture, formally establishing a sister-city partnership between the two municipalities.

The Istočno Sarajevo delegation, currently visiting Lanzhou, the capital of China's Gansu Province, is led by City Assembly Speaker Boško Jugović.

Lanzhou Mayor Liu Tianxin said the visit by the Istočno Sarajevo delegation demonstrates the strengthening of cooperation between the two sister cities.

Liu noted that Lanzhou and Istočno Sarajevo established friendly relations and cooperation in 2024 and that exchanges between the two cities have since become more substantial across a wide range of fields, according to a statement from the Istočno Sarajevo City Administration.

"Today's signing of two important cooperation agreements marks the beginning of a new phase of institutionalized, practical, project-based cooperation between our cities,"Tianxin emphasized.

He reminded that a delegation from Gansu Province had previously visited Istočno Sarajevo, where it met with Mayor Ljubiša Ćosić and representatives of higher education institutions to discuss cooperation in the fields of economy, trade, culture, tourism and education, as well as human resource development and academic exchange.

Liu added that BiH's Ambassador to China, Siniša Berjan, has played an important role in building bridges for practical cooperation, while Professor Srđan Lale of the University of Istočno Sarajevo has become a goodwill ambassador for people-to-people exchanges between the two friendly cities.

Conveying greetings from Mayor Ćosić and the citizens of Istočno Sarajevo, Jugović said that friendship with a city experiencing continuous growth in infrastructure, the economy and education is of great importance for Istočno Sarajevo and confirms Lanzhou's status as a major industrial and scientific center in northwestern China.

"We are proud to have as our partner a multi-million-resident metropolis with a rich historical heritage and a highly developed economy, tourism, agriculture and other sectors that contribute to a strong and prosperous community. We must also point out that our city has achieved a significant level of development in areas essential to the progress and well-being of every community," Jugović said.

Jugović emphasized Istočno Sarajevo's commitment to tourism development, particularly around the Olympic mountain Jahorina, as well as the production of healthy food and the application of the highest environmental standards, adding that these priorities could be further advanced through future cooperation.

During today's meeting, a Memorandum of Understanding was also signed between the University of Istočno Sarajevo and Lanzhou Vocational Technical College. The Istočno Sarajevo delegation also visited the 32nd Lanzhou Investment and Trade Fair, which is traditionally held in the Chinese city.