Nova Gorica - The Nova Gorica municipality alongside Italy's Gorizia signed a cooperation agreement on Friday with another 2025 European Capital of Culture, Germany's Chemnitz. The agreement aims to facilitate the cities' development of the arts programme and implementation of the cultural strategy.

The agreement was signed by Nova Gorica Mayor Klemen Miklavič, Gorizia Mayor Rodolfo Ziberna and Chemnitz Mayor Sven Schulze.

Miklavič said that the agreement meant "Nova Gorica is on the European map, that international things are going on in the city and that we are forging ties with Europe and the world".

He hopes the partnership will show that Eastern Europe can also be the "centre of action", as Chemnitz is located in the east of Germany, while Nova Gorica and Gorizia lie on the border between East and West Europe, reads a press release by the Nova Gorica municipality.

Ziberna said that the agreement was a great opportunity. "We had been alone before, but from today on we are an extended family," he said, adding that by extending this family, another perspective had been added, very similar to those already there, to improve the quality of life of citizens.

Schulze also noted a number of common points between the cities, saying that Chemnitz had already entered into several collaborations, which the city would continue to build on in the future.

Nova Gorica, including its cross-border cooperation with neighbouring Gorizia, and Chemnitz were chosen as the 2025 European Capitals of Culture in December last year.