Deputy Mayor Pavel Popov met with the ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands

The deputy mayor with portfolios of culture, education and sports Pavel Popov met with the ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in our country Simon van der Burgh. The two discussed possibilities for expanding cooperation between Varna and the twinned Dutch city of Dordrecht, which dates back to 2001. In this regard, six artists from Dordrecht are to be included this year in the exposition of the City Art Gallery “Boris Georgiev”. Another idea, which will seek implementation together with the Regional History Museum, is to have the golden treasure from the Varna Chalcolithic Necropolis visit Dordrecht in 2026 in connection with the 25th anniversary of the twinning of the two cities. The possibility of an exchange between the puppet theaters of the two cities was also discussed – an initiative that marks the beginning of the partnership between Varna and Dordrecht.

Deputy Mayor Pavel Popov proposed that Dutch musicians be invited to the jubilee edition of the Varna Summer International Music Festival in 2026, when the forum will celebrate its 100th anniversary. The possibility of student exchange between the universities of Varna and the Netherlands was also discussed.

His Excellency Simon van der Burg introduced Deputy Mayor Popov to the representatives of a Bulgarian outsourcing company that has successfully established itself in the Netherlands in the field of innovation, business services and technology. The company also has a representative office in Varna and has been successfully cooperating with the Varna Mathematical High School “Dr. Petar Beron” for years, which prepares personnel specifically for the IT field.

We are proud of the Mathematics High School and we want to provide an opportunity for young specialists to stay and find employment in Varna after graduation, said Pavel Popov. In connection with the accelerated development of Varna as a technological city, he also pointed out the possibilities for cooperation with other universities in the city. Until now, the company has partnered with the University of Economics, where they organize the so-called IT Master Class.

This is the third visit of Ambassador Simon van der Burgh to Varna after his appointment to Bulgaria in 2021.