Liverpool City Region Combined Authority has announced that the Mayor has signed a new Memorandum of Understanding that will see a closer partnership forged with Surabaya, the second largest city in Indonesia.
This comes as the UK and Indonesia celebrate the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations, bringing the curtain down on a two-year long roadmap seeing the development of closer ties between the two nations.
Surabaya is Indonesia’s second largest city after Jakarta and currently has an economy that is growing by more than 5% every year. Alongside this, it is home to the port of Tanjung Perak, which is thought of as the gateway to Eastern Indonesia and is similar in size to the Port of Liverpool.
Mayor of Liverpool City Region Steve Rotheram said:
“Our area has always been an open and outward looking place. Home to one of the world’s most famous port cities, few places make a more attractive partner to do business with – but it’s our unique strengths and assets that continue to attract interest from around the world.
“We already have a flourishing relationship with our friends in Surabaya and I’m looking forward to continuing to strengthen those ties, work towards our shared vision and build a stronger future for both our areas and the 5m people we represent.”
Liverpool’s partnership with Surabaya began in March 2018 as they became ‘sister cities’, marking the first relationship between cities in the UK and Indonesia. This new Memorandum of Understanding has now kicked off the second five-year period of even deeper collaboration, as local partners work alongside their Indonesian counterparts.
Some of these partners include Tranmere Rovers FC supporting Surabaya State University to develop skills, and St Vincent’s School for the Visually Impaired seeking a potential Indonesia-wide rollout of programmes that it has developed in Surabaya.
Eri Cahyadi, Mayor of Surabaya, also commented:
“Over the past five years, the partnership between Surabaya City and the Liverpool City Region has transcended geographical boundaries, establishing cooperation in various fields that enrich our communities. This synergy is proof that Surabaya City and the Liverpool City Region share strengths from each other. As sister cities, we are united in our commitment to overcome common challenges, all for the welfare of our citizens. We hope that the benefits of this relationship will be directly felt by generations to come.”
Image credit: iStock
Video credit: Liverpool City Region Combined Authority
