City of Hiroshima plans to establish ties with Sarajevo
Jan. 20, 2016
by Michiko Tanaka, Staff Writer
The City of Hiroshima is now pursuing a new approach for expanding its exchanges with cities overseas. Hiroshima will select a city overseas and a field of cooperation, and after announcing the exchange and engaging in some exchange activities with that city, it will establish a sister city and friendship city relationship. The last time the City of Hiroshima formed a sister city relationship was in 1998 with Montreal, Canada. The latest plan comes in response to several requests from other cities to create closer ties with Hiroshima.
On January 14, Hiroshima Mayor Kazumi Matsui met with Kazuya Ogawa, the Ambassador of Japan to Bosnia and Herzegovina, at City Hall, to discuss forming a relationship with Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia-Herzegovina. Mr. Matsui said that the mayors of both cities will announce an exchange in a field other than peace and, once their relationship has deepened, conclude a sister city agreement. In line with the 20th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between Japan and Bosnia-Herzegovina, Mr. Ogawa asked Mr. Matsui to deepen the relationship between Hiroshima and Sarajevo. In response, Mr. Matsui presented the city’s plan to announce the partner relationship as early as this year.
Currently, the City of Hiroshima has six sister and friendship cities: Montreal (Canada), Honolulu (U.S.), Volgograd (Russia), Hanover (Germany), Chongqing (China), and Daegu (South Korea). Hiroshima has formed partnerships with cities abroad to deepen ties in the fields of peace, economics, culture, and education. An official from the city’s International Affairs Department said, “Establishing a relationship with Sarajevo will promote the mutual understanding of our cities, on the part of our citizens, and bring benefits for both cities in terms of town planning. We would like to nurture such reciprocal relationships globally.”
(Originally published on January 15, 2016)
The City of Hiroshima is now pursuing a new approach for expanding its exchanges with cities overseas. Hiroshima will select a city overseas and a field of cooperation, and after announcing the exchange and engaging in some exchange activities with that city, it will establish a sister city and friendship city relationship. The last time the City of Hiroshima formed a sister city relationship was in 1998 with Montreal, Canada. The latest plan comes in response to several requests from other cities to create closer ties with Hiroshima.
On January 14, Hiroshima Mayor Kazumi Matsui met with Kazuya Ogawa, the Ambassador of Japan to Bosnia and Herzegovina, at City Hall, to discuss forming a relationship with Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia-Herzegovina. Mr. Matsui said that the mayors of both cities will announce an exchange in a field other than peace and, once their relationship has deepened, conclude a sister city agreement. In line with the 20th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between Japan and Bosnia-Herzegovina, Mr. Ogawa asked Mr. Matsui to deepen the relationship between Hiroshima and Sarajevo. In response, Mr. Matsui presented the city’s plan to announce the partner relationship as early as this year.
Currently, the City of Hiroshima has six sister and friendship cities: Montreal (Canada), Honolulu (U.S.), Volgograd (Russia), Hanover (Germany), Chongqing (China), and Daegu (South Korea). Hiroshima has formed partnerships with cities abroad to deepen ties in the fields of peace, economics, culture, and education. An official from the city’s International Affairs Department said, “Establishing a relationship with Sarajevo will promote the mutual understanding of our cities, on the part of our citizens, and bring benefits for both cities in terms of town planning. We would like to nurture such reciprocal relationships globally.”
(Originally published on January 15, 2016)
