Montego Bay to be twinned with Greek city of Sitia

Montego Bay, the capital of St James is set to be twinned with the Greek city of Sitia, which will be formalised in a ceremony on Thursday, February 23 at 5 p.m. in Sam Sharpe Square.Negotiations between the cities began last September and benefits are expected to be derived both ways, Mayor of Montego Bay Leeroy Williams said.

“This includes student exchange programmes between the Hellenic University based in Sitia and universities in Montego Bay,” Williams said. ‘Crete is the base for many shipping companies, with Greece having the largest shipping fleet in the world, so in conjunction with the Caribbean Maritime University under the direction of Admiral Peter Brady, there will be opportunities for Jamaican seafarers who desire employment on Greek vessels.”

Sitia is a port town and a municipality in Lasithi, Crete, Greece. Its port is on the Sea of Crete, part of the Aegean Sea and is recognised as one of the economic centres of the Lasithi region, according to online sources.

Both countries share the main source of income in tourism and agriculture.

“Montego Bay has the desire to attract more tourists from southern and eastern Europe and twinning would be beneficial because this part of Europe has had minimal exposure to tourism in Jamaica,” the mayor said.

Sports, in particular athletics, is another area from which the people of Sitia will hope to benefit.

Williams also believes Crete with its unlimited expertise in agricultural technologies will help to boost local agriculture. The Grecian delegation will be led by Mayor Georgios Zerkavis and will arrive in Jamaica on Friday to formalise the agreement.