The City of San Antonio is proud to have nine sister cities and two friendship cities around the world. In 1953, three years before Sister Cities International was created by President Dwight Eisenhower, San Antonio and Monterrey, Mexico, established the first U.S.-Mexico sister city relationship. Now in its 60th year, the sister cities program in San Antonio is managed through the City’s International Relations Office which is responsible for maintaining official relationships with our sister cities in China, Germany, India, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Spain, and Taiwan, as well as alliances in many other countries.
San Antonio and the State of Texas opened an office in Tokyo, Japan, in 1987 known as the Texas-Japan Office. Today the office is supported by the City of San Antonio, Bexar County, and various local business organizations. Since then, other sister city relationships have resulted in robust community involvement, including San Antonio-Chennai (India) Alliance, a nonprofit organization that is spearheading numerous projects. One of the signature activities of this group is the annual award winning Diwali, Festival of Lights, which the City of San Antonio is proud to sponsor.
The City also has a longstanding sister city presence in Mexico, where we established offices in Monterrey and Guadalajara in 1991 and 1992 with the purpose of strengthening bilateral trade and business relationships as well as promoting foreign direct investment. Known as the Casa San Antonio program, it has grown to include an office in Mexico City. The Casa San Antonio program continues to provide San Antonio with a direct link to Mexico and provides logistical and communications support for San Antonio business, medical, and educational organizations.
This year, San Antonio hosted the 57th Annual Sister Cities International (SCI) conference, which attracted more than 600 delegates from 30 countries. In addition to inviting delegations from all its official sister cities, the City’s International Relations Office included some cities with which there may be an interest in cultivating future sister city relationships. Six San Antonio sister cities were represented at the conference, including five of its sister city mayors. This marked the first time the city hosted multiple sister city groups at one event. The conference attracted broad-based community support from business, educational and cultural organizations and numerous activities organized in support of the visiting sister city delegations. We held numerous individual sister city events to strengthen relationships and provide special roles to each of the visiting mayors. A highlight was a welcome banquet organized by one of San Antonio’s local chambers of commerce in honor of all San Antonio’s visiting sister city delegations and special guests.
One of the unique features of the SCI conference this year was the hosting of the 2nd United Nations Environmental Program supported Urban Environmental Accords Summit at the request of our sister city in Korea. This vivid example of sister city collaboration was incorporated under the umbrella of the SCI conference and the overall theme of “Sustainable Cities; Sustainable Relationships.” The successful events highlighted the importance of collaboration in this 21st century global economy. The future belongs to the cities that maximize cultural and business ties across the globe. And San Antonio is committed to remaining one of those cities.
This article was originally published in the Diplomatic Courier's November/December 2013 print edition.
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San Antonio: Pioneering Sister City Relationships
November 18, 2013
The City of San Antonio is proud to have nine sister cities and two friendship cities around the world. In 1953, three years before Sister Cities International was created by President Dwight Eisenhower, San Antonio and Monterrey, Mexico, established the first U.S.-Mexico sister city relationship. Now in its 60th year, the sister cities program in San Antonio is managed through the City’s International Relations Office which is responsible for maintaining official relationships with our sister cities in China, Germany, India, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Spain, and Taiwan, as well as alliances in many other countries.
San Antonio and the State of Texas opened an office in Tokyo, Japan, in 1987 known as the Texas-Japan Office. Today the office is supported by the City of San Antonio, Bexar County, and various local business organizations. Since then, other sister city relationships have resulted in robust community involvement, including San Antonio-Chennai (India) Alliance, a nonprofit organization that is spearheading numerous projects. One of the signature activities of this group is the annual award winning Diwali, Festival of Lights, which the City of San Antonio is proud to sponsor.
The City also has a longstanding sister city presence in Mexico, where we established offices in Monterrey and Guadalajara in 1991 and 1992 with the purpose of strengthening bilateral trade and business relationships as well as promoting foreign direct investment. Known as the Casa San Antonio program, it has grown to include an office in Mexico City. The Casa San Antonio program continues to provide San Antonio with a direct link to Mexico and provides logistical and communications support for San Antonio business, medical, and educational organizations.
This year, San Antonio hosted the 57th Annual Sister Cities International (SCI) conference, which attracted more than 600 delegates from 30 countries. In addition to inviting delegations from all its official sister cities, the City’s International Relations Office included some cities with which there may be an interest in cultivating future sister city relationships. Six San Antonio sister cities were represented at the conference, including five of its sister city mayors. This marked the first time the city hosted multiple sister city groups at one event. The conference attracted broad-based community support from business, educational and cultural organizations and numerous activities organized in support of the visiting sister city delegations. We held numerous individual sister city events to strengthen relationships and provide special roles to each of the visiting mayors. A highlight was a welcome banquet organized by one of San Antonio’s local chambers of commerce in honor of all San Antonio’s visiting sister city delegations and special guests.
One of the unique features of the SCI conference this year was the hosting of the 2nd United Nations Environmental Program supported Urban Environmental Accords Summit at the request of our sister city in Korea. This vivid example of sister city collaboration was incorporated under the umbrella of the SCI conference and the overall theme of “Sustainable Cities; Sustainable Relationships.” The successful events highlighted the importance of collaboration in this 21st century global economy. The future belongs to the cities that maximize cultural and business ties across the globe. And San Antonio is committed to remaining one of those cities.
This article was originally published in the Diplomatic Courier's November/December 2013 print edition.
