The City of Carmel on July 26 gained a fifth Sister City, with Carmel Mayor Jim Brainard finalizing the partnership with Visakhapatnam, India, during a virtual meeting.
Others participating in the signing ceremony included Visakhapatnam Mayor Golagani Hari Venkata Kumari; Saikanth Varma, commissioner of the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation; Raju Chinthala, president of the Indiana India Business Council; and Carmel resident Pavan Varma.
“Carmel is home to a great diversity of residents who come from all over the world, and it’s important that we reach out and connect with other cities so that we can exchange ideas and learn from each other,” Brainard stated. “These relationships are key to promote and broaden economic cooperation and cultural exchanges, international goodwill and understanding.”
According to the agreement between Carmel and its newest Sister City, the partnership will include the exchange of people, ideas and information in a wide variety of areas of mutual interest, including business, trade, culture, education, healthcare, government, technology and other endeavors. The agreement also establishes a joint effort to explore the growth of business and trade relations between the two economies.
Visakhapatnam is the largest and most populous metropolitan city in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is between the Eastern Ghats mountain range and the coast of the Bay of Bengal. The city is home to several educational institutions and is the headquarters for the Indian Navy’s Eastern Naval Command.
Visakhapatnam is also a tourist destination and is known for its beaches, ancient Buddhist sites and the natural environment of the surrounding Eastern Ghats. It is nicknamed the “City of Destiny” and “Jewel of the East Coast.”
Carmel’s other Sister Cities are Jelgava, Latvia; Cortona, Italy; Kawachinagano, Osaka, Japan; and Xiangyang, Hubei, China.
Learn more about Visakhapatnam at visakhapatnam.ap.gov.in.
