The Seattle-Tashkent Sister City Association (STSCA) is a non-profit 501(c)3 citizen-diplomacy organization officially recognized by the City of Seattle and the International Sister City Association. STSCA was founded in 1973 and was the first Soviet-American Sister City to be established.
For over 40 years STSCA has promoted both official and people-to-people exchanges between the cities of Seattle, Washington and Tashkent, Uzbekistan. In spite of the Cold War, Seattle and Tashkent developed close ties, gradually eroding the enemy image of the Soviet Union and forging lasting friendships that continue to grow and flourish today. Now, with uncertain relations between the US and much of the Islamic world, our long-lived ties are increasingly important as the basis for people-to-people diplomacy.
We promote citizen diplomacy and humanitarian assistance through educational, medical, artistic, and business exchanges. Our exchanges have included colorful official visits by mayors, deputy mayors, and city-council members, and people-to-people exchanges of teachers, schoolchildren, and university students, actors, healthcare providers, lawyers, journalists, and social-service professionals. We are creating new relationships and spreading an appreciation of Uzbek culture in the US and US culture in Uzbekistan
