A Charter of Friendship with North Macedonian Town of Resen was signed by Littlehampton’s former Mayor Councillor Sean Lee during his last week in service at the beginning of May 2025.

The act came after long standing restaurateurs Peter and Loreta Stojanovski announced their retirement. The couple, originally from North Macedonia, set up the Vardar Restaurant in Selborne Road, Littlehampton, 46 years ago and have been at the heart of the growing North Macedonia community which according to the country’s Ambassador exceeds 200 households, making it the largest outside of London.

During their time as business owners, Peter and Loreta have raised thousands of pounds for charity and have supported their family in establishing other businesses in the town.

Marking this strong relationship between Littlehampton and Resen through the Charter of Friendship serves as a show of gratitude to the community and a display of how welcoming Littlehampton is to communities of all backgrounds.

The Charter of Friendship was officially signed by the Mayor of Littlehampton and Resen who visited the Manor House on 6 May 2025. There was an exchange of gifts between both Mayors and the North Macedonian Ambassador as well as a visit to Littlehampton Museum where Loreta explained about the history of the former Nelson Pub. It is hoped that this will be the first step towards developing a formal Twinning agreement.