Omaha And Omaha Beach Region To Sign Sister City Agreement

From the City of Omaha: On the 75th anniversary of D-Day, Mayor Jean Stothert and the Omaha Sister Cities Association announced the development of a Sister City relationship with the region along the Normandy Coast of France, including historic Omaha Beach.

Omaha Beach is located in the Isigny-Omaha Intercom, a region of 59 townships in northern France.

“Omaha Beach is part of our country’s past, and will always be remembered,” said Mayor Stothert.

“History connects us, and the future will provide many opportunities for cultural, educational, business, and most importantly, the personal relationships which are fundamental to all Sister Cities. It is an honor for the City of Omaha to develop a Sister City relationship with this region.”
Isigny-Omaha Intercom will be the City of Omaha’s seventh Sister City. The others are Shizuoka, Japan; Braunschweig, Germany; Siauliai, Lithuania; Naas, Ireland; Xalapa, Mexico; and Yantai, China.

“The iconic connection between Omaha, Nebraska and Omaha Beach continues and resonates on a deeply personal and emotional level,” said Andy Schilling, Vice-President of the Omaha Sister Cities Association and Senior Director of International Business Development at the Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce.

The Association made the initial contact with its counterparts in France, and learned there was shared interest in forming a sister city relationship. “The memory, the emotion and the reverence for the heroism of our servicemen at D-Day are all still prominent in their gratitude and appreciation for their sacrifice,” said Schilling.

In early March, a delegation of five Normandy mayors visited Omaha. In April, a delegation from Omaha visited Normandy. The Sister City Friendship Agreement will be signed in October in France.

“Omaha’s Sister City Association brings the world to Omaha,” said Mayor Stothert, who also serves as the Honorary Chair of the Association. “These relationships are important to our growth as a partner in international trade and education.”

Shizouka was Omaha’s first Sister City. The agreement has been in place since 1965. The agreement with Yantai was signed in 2010.

“Our parent organization, Sister Cities International, has a simple but noble mission,” said Schilling. “To promote peace through mutual respect, understanding, and cooperation—one individual, one community at a time.”

For more information about the Omaha Sister City Association, please visit http://www.omahasistercities.com/