At the 7th China–CEEC Local Leaders' Meeting in Jinan, Shandong province, on May 26, Žarko Mićin, mayor of Novi Sad, Serbia, shared his expectations for closer cooperation between Novi Sad and Jinan, highlighting culture as an important bridge for mutual exchange and people-to-people connections.

He also spoke positively about Jinan's approach to cultural heritage preservation and urban development, expressing hopes for broader cooperation and shared learning between the two cities in the future.