Starting with an official event held in 2019, Japan and India penned down a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) during the Indian Prime Minister’s visit to the G20 Osaka summit. As part of a larger move to cultivate and expand opportunities on various fronts between both nations, this sister-city agreement brought together Kobe, located in Hyogo, Japan, and Ahmedabad, situated in Gujarat, India.
Understanding the Sister City Concept
The concept known as sister cities, or alternatively twin towns, encompasses a legal and social agreement made between two distinct geopolitical entities from different countries. These could range from towns and cities, to counties, oblasts, prefectures, provinces, regions, and states. The primary intention behind such agreements is to stimulate and promote cultural and commercial ties between these areas.
The idea was hatched after the end of World War II, originally conceived to propagate peaceful coexistence and foster trade and tourism. Diplomatically, the sister city concept is viewed as a means of enhancing strategic ties between two nations, extending both culturally and economically.
Revisiting Earlier Agreements
An earlier instance of such an agreement happened in 2013, when India signed several sister city agreements with China. The pairings involved in these agreements were Delhi-Beijing, Bengaluru-Chengdu, and Kolkata-Kunming.
Fast forward to November 2016, there was another sister-state relationship MoU signed between India and Japan. This particular agreement involved Gujarat in India and Hyogo prefecture in Japan. The primary focus of this MoU was to spike mutual cooperation in various spheres such as academics, business, cultural cooperation, disaster management, and environmental protection
Looking at the Current Agreement
The latest sister-city MoU has an underlying aim to foster better relationships between Kobe and Ahmedabad. A piece of this puzzle involves capitalizing on some commonalities between the two cities. For instance, UNESCO has recognized Ahmedabad as a World Heritage City and Kobe as a Creative Design City.
| City | Recognition |
|---|---|
| Ahmedabad | World Heritage City |
| Kobe | Creative Design City |
Impact of the Agreement on Cultural and Business Fronts
The acknowledgment by UNESCO adds a degree of repute to these cities as they are recognized worldwide. This shared recognition is expected to facilitate connections amongst people, an element that’s perceived as pivotal for growth across multiple fronts.
Alongside, it’s worth noting that Kobe already has a substantial Gujarati community residing there. The city of Kobe also has more relevance, given the visit of the Indian Prime Minister to a bullet train plant there. Adding another layer to this relevance is the fact that India is in the process of building its first bullet train that will run between Mumbai and Ahmedabad, and for this endeavor, Japan is providing assistance.
