On the morning of July 1, Ningbo and Irkutsk, Russia signed an agreement to officially establish sister-city relationship. Mr. TANG Feifan, Deputy Secretary of CPC Ningbo Municipal Committee and Mayor of Ningbo, and Mr. Ruslan Bolotov, Mayor of Irkutsk, signed the agreement together.
Before the signing ceremony, Mr. TANG Feifan held a meeting with Mr. Ruslan Bolotov and his delegation. Mr. TANG Feifan extended a warm welcome to the delegation of Irkutsk, Russia. He said that Ningbo maintains close ties with Russia, with frequent economic and trade exchanges. Russia has now become Ningbo's fifth-largest foreign trade partner. In recent years, under the guidance of the China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for a new era, friendly exchanges between Ningbo and Irkutsk have continued to deepen, yielding positive results across various fields such as economy and trade, culture, sports, and the arts. The establishment of the sister-city relationship between the two cities is a concrete step toward implementing the strategic consensus reached by the heads of state of the two countries. It marks the beginning of a new chapter in bilateral friendly exchanges. It is hoped that the two cities will take this opportunity to promote closer economic and trade exchanges, deepen higher-level scientific cooperation, and foster deeper cultural exchanges, so that the friendship between the two cities will further flourish and yield more fruitful results. Friends from Irkutsk are warmly welcomed to visit Ningbo more often to explore, experience, and feel the unique charm of this coastal city.
Mr. Ruslan Bolotov expressed his pleasure at visiting China, Ningbo in particular, on such a significant occasion as July 1. He began by extending warm congratulations on the 104th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China. Over the past decade since Irkutsk and Ningbo signed a letter of intent to establish friendly ties, the relationship between the two cities has made substantial progress. Today's official signing of the sister-city relationship agreement marks a new starting point for exchanges and cooperation. At present, the two cities are witnessing rapid development in exchanges and cooperation across areas such as economy and trade, culture, sports, and so on, laying a solid foundation for future collaboration. Going forward, it is hoped that the two cities will strengthen ties between their enterprises, advance practical economic cooperation, and continuously foster friendly youth exchanges, thereby providing solid support for the long-term development of both cities.
Irkutsk, located at the southern tip of Lake Baikal, is a key industrial hub in Russia and the largest economic city in East Siberia. It is also one of the scientific, educational, and cultural centers of the Siberian region.
Mr. Evgenii Stekachev, Chairman of the Irkutsk City Duma, and Mr. YE Miao, Member of Party Leadership Group of Ningbo Municipal Government and Director of Administrative Committee of Ningbo Economic & Technical Development Zone, attended the meeting. Ms. BAO Xianping, Director-General of Ningbo Foreign Affairs Office, and Mr. JIAO Shuanglin, Deputy Director-General of Ningbo Foreign Affairs Office, attended relevant events.
