Ruse-Giurgiu

Countries: Bulgaria , Romania

The cities of Ruse (170,000 inhabitants) and Giurgiu (53,000 inhabitants) are situated along the Danube, which marks the border between Bulgaria and Romania.

Cross-border cooperation

The two cities are linked by the Friendship Bridge, the first Bulgarian-Romanian cross-border bridge, built in the early 1950s. In 1997, the two cities signed a twinning agreement, and in 2001, they jointly formed the Ruse-Giurgiu Euroregion. The activities of this Euroregion are varied, concerning sustainable development, economic development, cultural initiatives, heritage conservation, and urban public services. In 2002 the Euroregion notably established a cross-border university, the Bulgarian-Romanian Interuniversity Europe Center (BRIE), and between 2010 and 2012 set out a cross-border “Masterplan” for the two cities. In addition, in 2002 the Danubius Euroregion was established, bringing together the districts of Ruse and Giurgiu, its priorities being the development of cross-border governance, rural development and tourism.