Kumasi (Ashanti Region) 25 May '99

Twin-city relations between Africa and developed countries is the best way to bring development to African, Mr Walter Moore, Mayor of the City of Pontiac, Michigan, in the United States, said in Kumasi on Monday.

Mayor Moore, a participant in the just-ended Fifth African- African American Summit held in Accra, said "the best way to bring development and changes in the field of health, education, agriculture and commerce in Africa is through twin-city relations with their counterparts in the developed countries".

Addressing the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) and members of staff of the assembly, he said negotiations are underway to establish a relationship between the KMA and the city of Pontiac within the next six months.

Mayor Moore said it is under a similar relationship that Pontiac is mobilising 30,000 dollars to put up educational infrastructure for the chiefs and people of Nkawie, in the Atwima district of Ashanti.

Mayor Moore said the pledge was made after a meeting with Nana Twum Barima Appau, Chief of Nkawie, and his elders at Nkawie.

Mayor Moore said the city of Pontiac has established relations with cities in Canada, Mexico and Japan bordering on educational and cultural exchange programmes, adding "a relationship with a city of Japan has been in existence for the past 20 years".

Nana Akwasi Agyemang, Kumasi Metropolitan Chief Executive, said he hoped that the relationship would be fruitful, as with other cities.

When the negotiations are completed, the city of Pontiac would be the fourth city to have twin-city relations with the KMA.

The other cities are Charlotte City and Newark, both in the United States, and Almere in Holland.