Chongqing and Antwerp Commemorating the Ten Years of Friendship

Chongqing-On the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the sister relationship between Chongqing and Antwerp province, an online meeting was held on December 22 to commemorate the friendship and the exchange of economic, trade, and cultural cooperation between the two cities.

In the past ten years, the friendship between the two places has grown constantly. Antwerp has become one of Chongqing's best friends in Europe.

"I have visited Chongqing many times before and have received delegations from Chongqing. During our interactions, we felt the enthusiasm of Chongqing and saw the development potential of Antwerp's cooperation with Chongqing." Ludwig Caluwé, Vice governor Province of Antwerp & Chairman POM Antwerp, said that in the past ten years, Antwerp and Chongqing had tapped many potential opportunities for cooperation in various aspects such as education, logistics, science, management, and business, and the cooperation agreement between the two sides is progressing smoothly. In the future, POM Antwerp will establish a better communication platform for enterprises in both places and build a communication bridge for them. The cooperation between the two sides will be closer and extend to broader fields.

"Eating hotpot should be the first thing I want to do in Chongqing. Besides that, I am particularly interested in learning about the rapid economic and social growth in Chongqing." Mr.Stryker, the new Director POM Antwerp, said he hopes to have face-to-face communication with Chongqing after the epidemic, to learn more about Chongqing's internationalization path, the potential opportunities for Antwerp companies to develop in Chongqing, and the future direction of cooperation between the two sides.

Luc Bross, former Director POM Antwerp, is credited with deepening the friendship between Chongqing and Antwerp. He has visited Chongqing more than ten times and made outstanding contributions to establishing sister relationships and exchanges between the two cities in various fields.

When speaking of Chongqing, Brose recalled with affection: "Chongqing has left me with very precious memories for more than ten years. We have had many mutual visits, interactions, and cooperation in various fields. I was very impressed by Chongqing's important role in constructing the 'Belt and Road', its unique architecture, beautiful natural scenery, profound cultural heritage, and outstanding advantages in intelligent manufacturing. Every time I come to Chongqing, I feel very warm. After ten years of cultivation, at least half of the Antwerp companies have heard of Chongqing and want to cooperate with it. I am glad to see that the two places have laid a very solid foundation for cooperation. I hope that my successor will continue to deepen the relationship between the two places."

In the exchange session, representatives from Chongqing University, Antwerp University,  Cleantech Flanders, respectively, exchanged views on progress and plans of university cooperation, plans for environmental protection cooperation, and situation and intention of cooperation in the park.