As Yangon marks the first anniversary of its sister city relationship with the city of Fukuoka, Myanmar's commercial capital is eager to access Japan's expertise to address key issues — including constant flooding.
To mark the relationship, Yangon recently hosted a festival at a shopping mall featuring a Japanese traditional drum performance and food and souvenir booths.
The cities started exchange and cooperation programs in 2012 when Fukuoka sent a waterworks expert to Yangon. That culminated in the establishment of the sister city relationship on Dec. 7 last year.
Yangon Mayor Maung Maung Soe noted that his city and Fukuoka have boosted their collaborations in various sectors since then. He cited frequent flooding in Yangon as a major challenge. He expressed hope that the cities will strengthen their cooperation as Yangon strives to turn itself into an environmentally friendly city which celebrates its heritage sites and boasts a bustling business scene.
Fukuoka Mayor Soichiro Takashima said his city is lending a hand to improve Yangon's waterworks to deal with floods, adding, "We will continue our contributions by sharing our experiences and technologies."
He led a business delegation and met with representatives of the Union of Myanmar Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry. The two parties agreed to meet again in Yangon in February next year.