"Sister cities" are international alliances made to promote cultural and economic ties around the world.
San Antonio has 11 such partnerships on 4 continents, including cities in the countries of Mexico, Spain, South Korea, Taiwan, Japan, India, China, Namibia and most recently, Germany.
Darmstadt is the most recent municipality to enter into a formal partnership with San Antonio. Late last year, Mayor Ron Nirenberg and other community leaders traveled to Germany and Tel Aviv, Israel – a more informal "friendship city" – on a 10-day cultural and trade mission abroad.
Trade missions like these contribute to long-term diplomatic efforts to strengthen connections and encourage mutually beneficial business opportunities.
From tourism to biosciences to cybersecurity, which industries are most active with international trade and investment? What is bringing people and companies to San Antonio?
How have sister cities worked with San Antonio in the past and in what ways can these partnerships help different cultures interact in the future?
Guests:
- Ron Nirenberg, Mayor of San Antonio and president-elect of Sister Cities International
- Shahrzad Dowlatashahi, City of San Antonio chief of protocol and head of the International Relations Office
- Richard Perez, president & CEO of the San Antonio Chamber of Commerce
- Carlos Jarquin, senior vice president of investment and trade for the San Antonio Economic Development Foundation
The Source" is a live call-in program airing Mondays through Thursdays from 12-1 p.m. During the live show, call 210-614-8980, email thesource@tpr.org or tweet at @TPRSource. Leave a voicemail with your questions and comments in advance by calling 210-615-8982.
