The 20th anniversary of friendship and cooperation with the Hungarian town of Kadusk was celebrated in the municipality of Veliko Trojstvo. The two decades of joint meetings and connections between people were marked in a ceremonial manner, with the central event being the ceremonial confirmation of the agreement on cooperation and friendship between the two local communities.
The cooperation began in 2006 with the signing of an agreement on cooperation and friendship. The agreement was signed to improve the economic, social, and cultural development, as well as to strengthen good neighbourly relations. The friendship was initiated by the then leaders of the two local communities, and one of the people who initiated the cooperation was the then head of the municipality of Veliko Trojstvo, Ivan Kovačić.
Over the past 20 years, the partnership has developed through meetings and exchanges of municipal delegations, participation in social events, and the connection of winemakers and grape growers. Kovačić welcomed the gathered crowd and expressed the wish that the friendship would continue to be nurtured with the same enthusiasm as before. "I welcome everyone on this day when we celebrate the 20th anniversary of the charter between the municipality of Veliko Trojstvo and the city of Kadusk," said Kovačić, adding: "I hope that we will return at least the hospitality that you have shown us over the past 20 years."
The former mayor of Kadusk, József Verken, thanked the guests for the invitation and stated that he had gladly accepted the invitation to celebrate the anniversary. He recalled that upon their first arrival in Veliko Trojstvo, they had first visited the church and were surprised to see the image of the Holy Trinity, which was also the patron saint of their church. He expressed his conviction that the friendship would continue in the years to come, not just for the next 20 years, but for many more 20-year periods.
The current mayor of Kadusk, József Karsai, welcomed the gathered crowd and expressed his satisfaction that, after two decades, they were celebrating this milestone together. In his address, he recalled King Stephen and his recommendations. "I believe that the Hungarians understood this recommendation, just as the founders of the partnership of our two places did, and laid the cornerstone of friendship," said Karsai, highlighting that the two communities were connected by many things, from sport to culture.
The head of the municipality of Veliko Trojstro, Marko Kutan, welcomed the gathered crowd, especially the guests from Hungary, highlighting the importance of preserving and further developing the partnership. "It is a great honour for me to celebrate 20 years of cooperation," said Kutan. "Today, we can say that we have built a bridge of friendship between Croatia and Hungary, between Veliko Trojstro and Kadusk, and above all, between our people."
