The mayor of Mijas, Ana Mata, received her counterpart from Gorna Oryahovitsa, Nikolay Rashkov, and the Bulgarian Ambassador to Spain, Todor Stoyanov, at the Mijas Town Hall to sign the agreement. The declaration aims to establish cooperation in areas such as culture, education, sports, tourism, economic promotion, citizen participation, and sustainability.
Through this signing, representatives from both cities have expressed their commitment to maintaining open channels of institutional communication and to evaluating future collaborative initiatives that strengthen ties between the two municipalities.
During the meeting, Ana Mata presented the mayor of Gorna Oryahovitsa with a handcrafted tile featuring an image of the Mijas Town Hall, created by local artisan José Angulo. In return, Nikolay Rashkov gifted the Mijas council with presents from Bulgaria, including a plate reflecting the country's craftsmanship.
Following the official ceremony, the Bulgarian delegation attended a traditional artistic performance by kukeri, a folk dance involving men in costumes who traditionally invoke a good harvest season and ward off evil spirits with their dances. Afterward, they toured key sites in Mijas Pueblo, including the Casa Museo (Museum House) to learn about local ethnography, and the Muralla (Wall).
Mayor Ana Mata highlighted Gorna Oryahovitsa's interest in strengthening ties and viewed this initial step as tangible proof of their willingness to jointly study projects that could benefit the residents of both cities.
