Riga mayor to limit contacts with Riga's sister cities

RIGA (BNS) - Riga Mayor Andris Argalis is set to limit contacts with small sister towns of the Latvian capital as such cooperation is not rational from a financial viewpoint and requires frequent trips abroad.

Argalis announced his intention in an interview June 4, commenting on recent reports about frequent business trips by city council officials to distant countries.

"I regard this friendship as very interesting, but we have somewhat different interests [in maintaining contacts with sister cities]," Argalis said but did not mention any town with which cooperation may be restricted.

Riga has over 20 sister cities all over the world. The sistership with many of those was established during the Soviet rule in Latvia.

The Riga mayor explained that sister cities had to cooperate in culture, art, sports and other areas, and it was required to make return visits in response to visits by delegations from those foreign towns.

"They send to us a delegation of seven or 10 people and want to see the same number of Riga City Council officials on the return visit. They pay for accommodations, but travel costs are covered only partially or not at all," Argalis said.

At the same time, he regards as very purposeful and promising the contacts with "serious" cities such as Dallas, Texas, Kobe, Japan and Suzhov, China, which in time could participate in the Riga port.

"The question arises whether it is or is not purposeful to maintain such friendly contacts... There is reason to ask which relationship merits the expenditures and which does not," he added.

Florence was the last city to join the circle of Riga's sister cities and is a particularly interesting cooperation partner because of cultural differences between the two cities.

Riga cooperates with Toronto in housing management and with Paris under the UNESCO culture program. A protocol of intent has also been signed about cooperation with Stockholm.

Helsinki is the most favored destination for Riga City Council officials who have visited the Finnish capital six times this year. Bremen and Vilnius have received delegations of Riga municipal representatives three times in 2000.

Other sister cities visited by Riga City Council officials this year include Tallinn (twice), Alborg, Demark, Moscow and Florence (once each). Several trips were also made to Stockholm.