By Augustine Ehikioya
To consolidate bilateral cooperation in several fields of common interest, a twinning agreement between the Municipality of Dakhla of the Morocco and the City of Columbus in the State of Ohio of the United States of America (USA) was signed on Wednesday.
Security Watch Africa (SWA) gathered that the agreement was initialled by the President of Dakhla’s Municipal Council, Erragheb Hormatallah, and the Mayor of Columbus (Ohio), Andrew Ginther, during a ceremony attended by the Wali of the Dakhla-Oued Eddahab region, Governor of the Oued-Eddahab province, Ali Khalil and the Mayor of Arlington, Texas, Jim Ross.
In a statement to the press, the President of the U.S. Conference of Mayors, Mayor of Columbus, Ohio, Andrew Ginther, expressed his joy to visit Dakhla for the first time and to get to know the Moroccan people up close in order to forge a very important relationship, praising HM King Mohammed VI’s far-sighted vision for the development of the Kingdom’s southern provinces.
He added that “this agreement opens promising prospects for the people of Dakhla and Columbus, by sharing best practices in several areas, including culture and sustainable development.”
For his part, the President of the municipal council of the city of Dakhla, Erragheb Hormatallah, said that this twinning agreement would “benefit the inhabitants of Dakhla and Columbus as part of an exchange of partnership and cooperation with the U.S., especially as it would promote the region’s large-scale development projects in various fields.”
Both sides said that signing this agreement showcases the mutual commitment of the two peoples to consolidate understanding, partnership and constructive friendship, based on mutual respect, equality and common interest, in accordance with current laws and legislation.
The statement added “This twinning agreement also reflects the special interest of both cities in cultural exchange, socio-economic development, improved environmental governance, education, and capacity-building for rising generations.”
