Chattanooga to formalize newest sister city on February 29
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) — On Monday, Chattanooga Mayor Tim Kelly announced that Chattanooga has a new sister city: Accra.
Accra is the capital city of Ghana, and it will be Chattanooga’s first African sister city.
Mayor Kelly’s office says they have been working on the relationship for over a year.
On Sunday, Accra was featured in an NFL commercial during the Super Bowl.
Mayor Kelly is glad about the timing and hopes the commercial will also help raise awareness of the partnership.
“Thank you Mayor Elizabeth Naa Kwatsoe Tawiah Sackey and the people of Accra for agreeing to create this partnership with Chattanooga, and thank you to Kanika Wellington-Jones here in Chattanooga who made this possible,” said Mayor Tim Kelly. “Our other sister city relationships have enriched our community, grown our economy, and broadened our cultural horizons. It’s overdue that we establish one of these connections on the African continent, and I can think of no better partner than Accra. Many Chattanooga residents have West African roots, and we look forward to robust partnerships and cultural exchange, especially for our youth.”
The two cities will hold a formal signing ceremony on Thursday, February 29.
These are Chattanooga’s other sister cities:
- Wuxi, China
- Hamm, Germany
- Wolfsburg, Germany
- Givatayim, Israel
- Nizhnii Tagil, Russia
- Tono, Japan
A sister city relationship is a diplomatic partnership between two separate cities in different countries. It is primarily focused on cultural exchange by volunteers.
