Montego Bay has first European sister city
Published:Saturday | February 18, 2023 | 12:34 AMMark Titus/Senior Gleaner Writer
WESTERN BUREAU:
TOURISM, AGRICULTURAL technologies, sports and educational exchanges are among the likely benefits from the twinning of the city of Montego Bay, St James, with the Grecian city of Sitia, which was formalised at the official signing ceremony in Sam Sharpe Square on Thursday.
Sitia is the easternmost city on Crete, Greece, and is one of the economic centres of the Lasithi region, with approximately 10,000 residents.
It is the first time that twinning between a city in Greece and Jamaica has taken place, although both countries established diplomatic relations in May 1975.
“We have maintained cordial relations since the establishment of the diplomatic agreement, but our bilateral relations over the years have remained modest and this is what we seek to bolster in this sister city relationship,” Mayor Leeroy Williams said in his address. “The signing of this MoU marks the beginning of a union and hints upon a commitment of the two cities to form a meaningful partnership.”
Williams expects the relationship to be mutually beneficial, particularly in the areas of education, agriculture, technology, and tourism.
Negotiations started between the cities last September when Williams led a delegation on a visit to Sitia. In fact, the local authority is hoping to penetrate the southern and eastern European tourism market, which reportedly has very little exposure to tourism in Jamaica. There will also be exchange programmes between the Hellenic University based in Sitia and universities in Montego Bay. Both countries share tourism and agriculture as sources of income.
Mayor of Sitia, Georgios Zervakis, the head of the Grecian delegation, also expects the relationship to be fruitful.
“We aim to show the real image of our homeland, introduce them to the social and economic life of our fellow Greeks, as well as the possibility of cooperation between our two cities,” Zervakis said.
Greece is the world’s 54th largest economy, at US$387.801 billion per annum, and is the 16th largest economy in the European Union. According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, Greece has rebounded well from the COVID-19 crisis, generating strong employment growth, increasing investments and exports, and government support measures.
Crete is the base for many shipping companies, with Greece having the largest shipping fleet in the world. This will also provide opportunities for Jamaican seafarers who desire employment on Greek vessels.
Montego Bay has sister relations with several other cities across the world, including three in China – namely Zhuhai, Hangzhou, and Yiwu.