The city of Caracal, where 200 Portuguese troops from the NATO Multinational Force are stationed, has initiated steps towards twinning with the Portuguese city of Viseu, as direct discussions on future cooperation took place this week between the leaderships of the two local administrations during the visit of the Viseu mayor to Caracal.
Caracal deputy mayor Laurentiu Patran explained on Wednesday for AGERPRES that the idea of closer relations between the two municipalities took shape after this year's local visit by Portugal's ambassador to Romania, while the visit of Viseu mayor Joao Azevedo offered not only an opportunity to discuss areas of cooperation, but also an exchange of administrative experience.
"The Portuguese soldiers troops stationed in Caracal come from a base in the city of Viseu, and the visit we received was from that city's mayor, Mr. Joao Azevedo. He also held meetings with the Portuguese soldiers in Caracal, and military personnel were part of the delegation he led. We have a good history between Caracal's administration and community and the contingent of Portuguese soldiers; they are involved in almost all sporting activities and take part in public events and festivities. In this context, we are already discussing the twinning of the two cities. Representatives of Viseu have already taken the first step by visiting us. The meeting with the Viseu mayor was partly a valuable exchange of experience about what administration means here and there, and about European funds attracted. The areas of cooperation will mainly focus on sporting and cultural activities," Laurentiu Patran told AGERPRES.
The Portuguese delegation also visited several of the historic buildings in Caracal, including the recently restored Hagiescu-Miriste House, which now accommodates a museum section, as well as the National Theatre.
