Brotherly ties: The city of lights now has a twin sister in Yemen

Agreement signed between Aden and Karachi aims to improve trade.

KARACHI:

The deputy governor of Aden in Yemen, Ahmed alDhalai, and Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) administrator Rauf Akhtar Farooqui signed an agreement on Thursday that declared Karachi and Aden as twin cities.

Speaking at the ceremony at the Polo Ground, alDhalai said that Pakistan and Yemen enjoy a strong relationship as trade between Pakistan and Yemen has increased to $150 million per annum.

“More than 5,000 expatriates from Aden live in Karachi while 100 Yemeni students are studying in different universities of Pakistan” he said. He further added that  delegations of Yemen’s businessmen have been attending the Expo Pakistan for the last three years.

Farooqui also addressed those present at the ceremony. The KMC administrator said that Karachi and Aden are both port cities and face similar issues which need to be addressed in order to improve their living standards.

The terms ‘twin cities’ and ‘sister cities’ are used to describe a form of cooperation agreement between towns, cities, provinces and even countries in geographically and politically distinct areas to promote cultural and commercial ties.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 10^th, 2014.