Published on June 25, 2024
SAN ANTONIO (June 25, 2024) — San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg and Mayor Yousef Al-Shawarbeh of Amman, Jordan signed a Friendship City Agreement on Tuesday.
A Friendship City Agreement is the first step toward a Sister City partnership, launching the process of developing cultural and educational exchanges.
The mayors signed the agreement at a ceremony in the Spanish Governor’s Palace.
Amman is San Antonio’s fourth Friendship City partner. San Antonio has Sister City relationships with 12 cities worldwide. Friendship agreements are created through Memorandums of Understanding signed by the respective mayors, and Sister City agreements require City Council approval.
Relationships forged through the Sister Cities International program, founded by President Dwight D. Eisenhower, foster citizen-to-citizen connections, and play a role in economic development efforts in addition to enhancing mutual understanding through educational and cultural interplay.
“There is broad recognition in international business and diplomatic circles that economic partnerships don’t just happen,” said Mayor Nirenberg. “They require lots of work and relationship building that happen at the civic level and citizen-to-citizen level — from educational and cultural exchanges to trade.”
San Antonio’s Arab American Community Advisory Committee provided support and counsel as the cities crafted the agreement. Mayor Al-Shawarbeh was accompanied by a delegation from Amman.
