Commemoration of the 40th anniversary of the relationship between Dalian and Le Havre was held

Those who share the same will not take mountains and seas as far away. The "Sister City Agreement" signed 40 years ago is like a bridge of friendship, closely connecting two cities thousands of miles apart. Yesterday, the commemoration of the 40th anniversary of the relationship between Dalian and Le Havre, France was held at Bangchuidao Hotel. New and old friends gathered together to talk about friendship, cooperation and the future. Chen Shaowang, Deputy Secretary of the Municipal Party Committee and Mayor, and Edward Philippe, former French Prime Minister and Mayor of Le Havre, delivered speeches and signed a memorandum of understanding on deepening cooperation between sister cities. Bai Yutang, French Ambassador to China, Luo Yirui, French Consul General in Shenyang, and Caroline Leclerc, Deputy Mayor of Le Havre; Liu Enju, deputy secretary of the Municipal Party Committee and secretary of the Party Working Committee of Jinpu New District, and Xu Guangxiang, member of the Standing Committee of the Municipal Party Committee and Minister of the United Front Work Department, attended the meeting. Vice Mayor Leng Xuefeng presided over the commemorative activities.

On behalf of the Municipal Party Committee and Municipal Government, Chen Shaowang extended his sincere welcome to the guests attending the event, and expressed his heartfelt thanks to friends from all walks of life who care about and support Dalian's economic and social development and promote pragmatic cooperation between the two cities. He said that Le Havre is one of the first European sister cities with good connections with Dalian since China's reform and opening up. Over the past 40 years, the two cities have carried out in-depth cooperation in the fields of economy, trade, medical care, education and humanities, and achieved good results. Mayor Philip has visited China many times and made important contributions to promoting exchanges and cooperation between the two cities.

Chen Shaowang said that Dalian is implementing the spirit of Xi Jinping's important speeches and instructions on the comprehensive revitalization of Northeast China, Liaoning, and Dalian, and unswervingly promoting high-level opening up and high-quality development. It is hoped that the two sides will deepen their strategic guidance, take this commemorative event as a new starting point, jointly implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state, promote the pragmatic cooperation between the two cities, build a model of sister city exchanges between China and France, and contribute local strength to the development of China-France comprehensive strategic partnership. It is hoped that the two sides will share development opportunities, take the opportunity of signing the memorandum of deepening sister city cooperation, focus on the fields of economy, trade, education, medical care, culture and sports, youth exchanges, etc., and work together to push pragmatic cooperation to a new level. It is hoped that the two sides will continue their traditional friendship. Guests are welcome to walk and see more during their stay in Dalian, experience the gorgeous and romantic mountain and sea scenery of the city, feel the vitality of Dalian's high-quality development, and recommend more French companies to invest in Dalian, deeply cultivate Dalian, and jointly write a new chapter in sister city cooperation.

In his speech, Edward Philippe said that since Le Havre and Dalian became sister cities, the two sides have always maintained close communication, continuously deepened understanding and mutual trust, worked intensively in the fields of economy, culture, education and other fields, and jointly produced many pragmatic cooperation results. It is hoped that the signing of the memorandum of deepening sister city cooperation between the two cities will be a new starting point to further deepen non-governmental exchanges, promote exchanges and cooperation in more fields, and continuously consolidate and enhance the traditional friendship and mutually beneficial cooperation between the two sides.

40 years of friendship, lasting forever. During the event, a short video of the 40th anniversary of the relationship between the two cities was shown. Each photo freezes the historical moments of international exchanges, told a story of sister cities, and vividly demonstrated the cooperation achievements and friendly exchanges between the two cities.