Area mayors reach out to foreign cities

Staff report

YOUNGSTOWN

Mayors in Youngstown and Warren are reaching out and making friends across seas, friendships that could mean economic development for the Valley.

Representatives of Youngstown and Warren will sign sister-city agreements today with cities in Israel and China designed to create economic opportunities for the Mahoning Valley.

Two signing ceremonies will take place — one in Youngstown and one in China.

At 5:30 p.m. in the Williamson College of Business Administration at Youngstown State University, Youngstown and Warren will sign a sister-city agreement with Akko, Israel.

This agreement was forged from the initial trip representatives of the two cities made to Israel in January 2010 in conjunction with the Youngstown Jewish Federation and Youngstown/Warren Regional Chamber’s business-development mission.

Mayors Michael O’Brien and Jay Williams, during that trip to Israel, met with officials from Akko. The Youngstown Jewish Federation has been engaged with Akko for many years and laid the groundwork for the January 2010 meeting. Akko is known as a diverse, multicultural city that has a modern, vibrant economy. The city has been a role model for the peaceful coexistence of the Arab and Jewish communities.

About 12 hours ahead of the Akko ceremony today, O’Brien, representing the city of Warren, will be signing a sister-city agreement with Dezhou, Shandong Province, China. Dezhou is one of the largest solar-energy producing cities in the world, confirmed by the fact that it hosted the World Solar Congress last September.

O’Brien was personally invited to China after meeting with Shandong Province and Dezhou officials last July when CCPIT Shandong and the Regional Chamber signed a Memorandum of Understanding. The pact means Warren is expected to have a vital link with a high-tech Asian city to share investment opportunities for the betterment of the region with the new TechBelt Energy Innovation Center being established in the city.

Both cities plan to use the sister-city relationship to foster economic- development inroads.