site.btaVarna, Mar Del Plata Sign Twinning Agreement

Varna Mayor Blagomir Kotsev and Mar del Plata Mayor Guillermo Montenegro signed a Twinning Agreement between the two port cities in the Argentine city on Wednesday.

The document states that the two seaside cities will cooperate with common programmes and projects in the fields of tourism, education, economy, social and cultural spheres. The Agreement does not create any financial obligations of any kind.

Kotsev commented that the signing of this agreement is an expression of the common aspirations to strengthen the ties between the city's communities, cultures and economies. He noted that both cities have a lot in common, as they are of strategic importance, cultural riches and economic energy. "I believe that with this twinning we will create a platform for friendship and cooperation that will contribute to the development of our cities," he underscored.

Kotsev and Montenegro discussed the development of industrial zones, sea connections, as well as cultural exchange and tourism between the two cities. Kotsev showed interest in how the local industrial zone in Mar del Plata, built many decades ago outside the city, has been absorbed by the expanding city.

The official ceremony was attended by Bulgarian Ambassador to Argentina Stoyan Mihaylov, with whom Kotsev discussed the possibility of presenting the golden treasure from the Varna Necropolis in various places in Latin America, starting with Mar del Plata.

Kotsev's visit to Argentina began in Buenos Aires, where a meeting was held with representatives of the Argentine Chamber of Commerce and Services. "My main mission is to present Bulgaria and specifically Varna as an alternative to Spain as an entry point for Argentine investments in the European Union. Bulgaria has a more favourable tax policy, better access to skilled labour and can be an equally worthy recipient of overseas investment," Kotsev said.

Kotsev also met Admiral Principi, the National Director of Naval Education of Argentina at the Vicente Lopez Naval School, where the possibilities of a future exchange of cadets and students between naval schools in Varna and Argentina was discussed.

On December 10, Kotsev welcomed the Bulgarian naval research vessel Sv. Sv. Kiril i Metodii (RSV 421), which arrived in Mar del Plata on its way to the Bulgarian base on Livingston Island. The ship was also welcomed by Ruzhka Nikolova, chair of the Argentine-Bulgarian Foundation in Buenos Aires, and high-ranking Argentine naval officers.

After the welcoming ceremony, Kotsev was invited by Mar del Plata Deputy Mayor for Economy to learn about the city's shipping industry and visited several shipbuilding and ship repair plants, as well as companies in the field of ship mechanisms and the food industry.