The Seattle Sister Cities Program provides opportunities to establish meaningful and lasting global friendships, partnerships, and connections. Seattle’s politics and economics have influence far beyond its borders with the potential to affect the lives of thousands of people around the world. Arts and culture festivals, youth exchanges, and other events deepen our community’s connection to the diverse populations living in our city and our connections around the world. Through trade, cultural exchange, humanitarian efforts, and a diverse immigrant community, Seattle’s international engagement has direct impacts on improving education, jobs, the environment, tourism, and health.
Seattle is proud to have been one of the innovators in promoting and developing sister city relationships. In 1957 Seattle and Kobe, Japan, formed one of the first sister city relationships; it is still active today. Seattle was also the first city to establish a sister city relationship in the former Soviet Union when we forged our relationship with Tashkent in 1973.
Today, Seattle has 21 sister city relationships that connect Seattle’s citizens to the global community. The City Council passed a resolution in 1996 adopting a moratorium on new Sister City affiliations due to limited City resources. The moratorium allows us to support the quality of our existing 21 Sister City programs.
