Split has a new twin!
Split and Rzeszow in Poland officially partnered up on May 15, 2018, Lokalni reports. The cooperation agreement was signed during a ceremony at the Municipal Hall in Rzeszow by their mayor Tazusz Ferenc and Deputy Mayor of Split Jelena Hrgović. The Polish city thus became the 16th twin to Split, and the first new friendship made official during the mandate of Split Mayor Andro Krstulović Opara.
Before the two parties signed the agreement, Deputy Mayor Stanislaw Sienko presented the city of Rzeszow, while Advisor to the Mayor Krešimir Budiša gave a presentation of Split.
Deputy Mayor Hrgović said that Rzeszow makes for a perfect example of how well a city can develop within the European Union. “In the last 10 years, Rzeszow managed to implement numerous projects and make a leap forward in regards to its infrastructure. It sparked interest from foreign investors, increased the employment rate and attracted new residents who have lowered the average age of Rzeszow’s citizens to 39”, said Hrgović. She also listed some factors that can be seen as the foundation of the new friendship between the two cities: Croatia’s historical ties to Poland, strong interest of the Polish for Croatia as a tourist destination, and a shared interest for development of IT and other technologies.
“This is only the beginning of our cooperation. We are looking forward to our cities becoming closer”, said Mayor Ferenc. “We will be glad to adopt some [of Split’s features] in our city. Your history is much longer than ours and full of memorable moments. Our city’s biggest treasure are its universities, which motivate young people to stay in Rzeszow and start families here. We’re looking forward to cooperation both in that regard and many others. But it is your sea we are most envious of”, joked Mayor Ferenc.
