Sister city since: March 12, 1993

Overview

Brest city is an important town in the southwest of Belarus and the capital of Brest state. The permanent population in Brest city is 300,000. The city is located at the border of Belarus and Poland at the intersection of the Mukhavets River and the Bug River. Brest means white birch in Russian, hence the name of the city. Brest is an industrial center of Belarus. It is also an important transportation hub and a cultural center with a long history and fine traditions.

Relations with Xiaogan

Interactions between Xiaogan and Brest date back to 1992 when city mayor of Brest led a delegation to Xiaogan and discussed about economic, trade and cultural exchanges and cooperation in December. The Xiaogan government delegation visited Brest in March 1993 in return and concluded the sister city agreement during the visit. To honor the occasion, a tree symbolizing friendship was planted on the square in front of the Brest City Hall. The two cities renewed their sister city agreement in August 2003 during then Mayor Yue Yong’s visit to Brest and then again in December 2013 when then mayor of Brest, Alexander Bareshenkov paid a visit to Xiaogan.