The Alentejo Regional Development Agency (ADRAL) has been actively involved in strengthening bilateral relations between Alentejo and several Chinese cities, within the scope of the international network International Urban and Regional Cooperation (IURC).

This collaboration has led to several study visits to China, recently culminating in the signing of a cooperation agreement between Alentejo and the coastal city of Dalian. The Vice-President of the Regional Coordination and Development Commission (CCDR) Alentejo, I.P., Carmen G Carvalheira, and the President of the Board of Directors of ADRAL, João Maria Grilo, participated in a mission to Taicang, China, for the 15th EU–China High-Level Seminar on Regional Policy Cooperation

The cooperation agreement, the result of friendly consultations between the pilot cities/regions – Dalian, in China, and the Alentejo Region, in Portugal – aims to implement and deepen regional political relations between the European Union and China. ADRAL contributes to the objectives of the New Urban Agenda, the 2030 Agenda and the political objectives of the European Cohesion Policy.

(Source: Rádio Campanário, on March 7)