On the afternoon of July 8, Ningbo Foreign Affairs Office held a working meeting via video link with the Aachen-Ningbo Sister-City Relationship Promotion Association (hereinafter referred to as "the Association") to discuss the annual exchange plan and preparations for the next year's event celebrating the 40th anniversary of the two cities' sister-city relationship. Mr. JIAO Shuanglin, Deputy Director-General of Ningbo Foreign Affairs Office, and colleagues from the International Cooperation Division (European and African Affairs) attended the meeting.

Mr. JIAO Shuanglin fully acknowledged the important role the Association has played in promoting exchanges and cooperation between the two cities, and thanked the Association for its warm reception to the Ningbo Young Students Delegation during their visit to Aachen. He emphasized that Aachen is Ningbo's first sister city in Europe, and the Ningbo Municipal Government attaches great importance to this long-standing relationship. As next year marks the 40th anniversary of the establishment of the sister-city relationship between the two cities, Ningbo Foreign Affairs Office will work together with the International Affairs Office of the Aachen Municipal Government and the Association to make preparations for the celebration event, thereby bringing Ningbo-Aachen cooperation to new heights.

Mr. Volker Hagen, Managing Director of the Association, shared the latest work information of the Aachen Municipal Government and the Association, outlined in detail preliminary ideas for the 40th anniversary celebration event, and suggested that the two sides establish a dedicated working group to take charge of specific tasks related to the event.

During the meeting, the two sides also discussed plans for mutual delegation visits in the second half of this year, as well as efforts to promote the establishment of sister-city relationships at the district and county levels.

In October 1986, Ningbo established a sister-city relationship with Aachen. Over the past four decades or so, the two cities have carried out extensive exchanges and cooperation in a wide range of areas, including economy and trade, science and technology, culture, education, healthcare and talent training.