Richmond
City Council /
News Release
For
sharing, forwarding, and posting
Monday,
5 August 2019
Richmond City Council Sister Cities
Commission to welcome Mayor Hayato Shimizu and official government delegation
from Saitama, Japan
WHAT Richmond,
Virginia - The Richmond City Council Sister Cities Commission is honored to
welcome Sister City, Saitama, Japan, during events in Richmond. The visiting
delegation will include The Honorable Hayato Shimizu, Mayor of Saitama, Japan, and
government officials from that city. Part of a more than 25 year Sister City
relationship between our two cities, some key events on the itinerary for the
day include:
Tuesday,
August 6, 2019: Key events
Times/Events/Locations
9:00 a.m. - 9:30 a.m. - Visit to Kanawha Plaza to see the
Richmond International Guidepost
(Located at Byrd
and 9th Streets, above the Downtown Expressway in Richmond, Virginia)
10:00 a.m. - Noon - Tour: Greater Richmond Convention Center
403 N. 3rd Street,
Richmond, Virginia
Noon - 12:45 p.m. - Celebratory Reception
Greater Richmond
Convention Center; Governors' Room (Second level of the Grand Ballroom, along
Broad Street Side)
403 N. 3rd Street,
Richmond, Virginia
CONTACT For details/information, please contact Miss
Catherine E. Nexsen, Chairman, Richmond City Council Sister Cities Commission,
Saitama, Japan - Richmond, Virginia Sister Cities Committee, at 804.355.2780
(tel); or saitamajapanrichmondvirginia@yahoo.com (email)
Richmond
City Council Sister Cities Commission: Overview
The Richmond City Council Sister Cities
Commission was established by Richmond City Council in 1980. One
of more than 50 boards, task forces, and commissions created to assist Richmond
City Council with providing oversight
of certain projects and priorities, the Richmond City Council Sister Cities
Commission operates under Council guidelines as well as the requirements of the
Sister Cities International organization, located in Washington, D.C.
An early
champion of international relations, Richmond began a relationship with its
namesake, Richmond Upon Thames, England, in 1930. In 1956, a formal Sister City
concept was established in the United States of America by U. S. President
Dwight D. Eisenhower. President Eisenhower's idea called for exchanges between
Americans and people in other countries, with a goal of fostering peace,
understanding, and harmony.
The term
"Sister City" is used to express a closeness that is engendered
through commonalities between communities. Formal friendships are then
established to promote cultural understanding and educational and economic
prosperity. Cities linked with Richmond are generally capital cities with
comparable populations, notable points of historic interest, and potential
opportunities for economic development and trade.
Richmond Sister City Relationships
Richmond maintains the following Sister City
relationships:
·
Richmond
upon Thames, England (Europe); Est. 1938
·
Saitama
City, Japan (Asia); Est. 1993
·
Zhengzhou,
China (Asia); Est. 1994
·
Windhoek,
Namibia (Africa); Est. 1998
·
Segou,
Republic of Mali (Africa); Est. 2009
- E N D -
