Kobe will be attended by a delegation of the Riga City Council and businessmen in early November in honour of the fiftieth anniversary of the friendship between Riga and Japan. During the visit several important meetings, ceremonies and events are planned, it will be an important step in the long-term co-operation of the two cities in economy, innovation, education and culture, as well as promote the visibility of Riga in Japan.
The delegation of the Latvian capital will be led by the Chairman of Riga City Council Vilnis Ķirsis, joined by the Deputy Chairman of the Riga City Council Linda Ozola, the Chairman of the Education, Culture and Sport Committee Laima Geikina, the Ambassador of Latvia to Japan Zigmārs Zilgalvis, the architect of the Riga City Pēteris Ratas, as well as representatives of the Investment and Development Agency of Latvia and Latvian businessmen from SIA “Fortes”, SIA “Barboleta” and SIA “Pharmeko Lettland”.
“The friendship between Riga and Kobe, which has been going on for half a century, is strong and profound – like Zuze, an elephant born in Riga, which lives happily at Kobe Oji Zoo. During the summer, we celebrated the friendship of cities in Riga by hosting delegation from Kobe. Now is the time for a response visit, which we will use both for exchanging experience on organising the education process and for establishing contacts between entrepreneurs,” says V.Ķirsis.
During the visit on November 5, the Riga City Council representatives will meet with Kobe Mayor Hisamoto to discuss cooperation in development and innovation, as well as exchange symbolic gifts. A session on the ecosystems of start-ups and innovations is planned, where representatives of both cities will share their experiences and ideas on business support, as well as meetings of experts in the fields of education.
Also on November 5, officials will jointly unveil a special sound-photo exhibition that will highlight the cultural heritage of the cities of Riga and Kobe. The exhibition will be opened with a musical performance by the choir's “Balsis” representative Ints Teterovskis and Emīlija Rūta Ozoliņa.
On November 6, the Latvian-Japanese Business Forum will take place, where individual meetings and presentations are planned together with the JETRO organization, which is working to promote the export capacity of Japanese companies in international markets, promoting attraction of foreign investments and promoting export potential of large and small enterprises, in order to develop cooperation between entrepreneurs of both countries and expand investment opportunities.
During the visit on November 6, a visit to Kobe Oji Zoo is planned, which is home to the elephant Zuze, brought from Riga. Representatives of the Riga City Council will see an exhibition dedicated to the twinning of the two cities, as well as visit Zuze and give her a special gift.
At the end of the visit, on November 7, Kobe biomedical Innovation clusters, the State Agency for Research and Development will be visited, as well as Riga representatives will become acquainted with the experience of reconstruction of the Sannomiya Centre and urban planning.
The twinning between the two cities began on 18 June 1974, and has since grown, evolved and strengthened, covering various areas important to both cities.
The mutual friendship between the two towns reminds the residents of Kobe garden in Agenskalns neighborhood, which is modeled according to Japanese-style gardens, more than 100 sakuras in Uzvaras Park and on Kr. Valdemāra and Kalpaka Boulevard in 1993, which shows the time of Riga and Kobe in two dials. There is the same clock in Kobe.
During these years of twinning, the Riga National Zoo has also developed a close cooperation with Kobe Zoo. Almost everyone in Kobe knows that everyone's favourite elephant Zuze came to their town from Riga years ago. Kobe's representatives acknowledge that Zuze has been one element of joy at a time when the city was hit by an ambitious earthquake. Our Zoo has also sent a pair of lynxes, Duke and Lucy, and Kobe has sent Japanese cranes, macaques, red macaws and red ibises in return. The cooperation between Riga and Kobe zoos is planned to continue in the future.
In honour of the fiftieth anniversary of the the friendship between Riga and Japanese city Kobe, Riga was visited by the Japanese delegation this summer, opening a special exhibition “Riga – Kobe 50”, as well as the establishment of sakura great plants in Uzvaras Park.
Information was prepared by: Mārtiņš Vilemsons, Project Coordinator at External Communication Division of Riga City Council, email: martins.vilemsons@riga.lv