Portsmouth closer to twinning with Maltese capital
Bosses have agreed to seek an agreement between the city and Valletta
Portsmouth City Council has decided to move forward with plans to twin with Valletta, while deferring decisions on twinning with cities in Palestine and Uzbekistan.
The council’s twinning advisory board decided today to proceed with the idea of forming a sister city relationship with Valletta, the capital city of Malta.
Twinning, a practice established after the Second World War, aims to encourage diplomatic, cultural and economic ties between cities.
Councillor Charlotte Gerada, who is of Maltese descent, initially proposed the twinning with Valletta. She highlighted historical connections between the two cities, notably during the Second World War, when Malta suffered extensive bombing campaigns by Axis forces.
Convoys attempting to resupply Malta were frequently attacked, leading to great loss of life, including Cllr Gerada’s great-uncle.
She believes that the twinning could enhance tourism and lead to cruise partnerships, as Valletta is home to one of Europe’s busiest cruise ports.
Cllr Gerada also confirmed that she has been in communication with Valletta’s mayor and local council, who are “very much in support”.
Other locations proposed for twinning included Berehomet in Ukraine, but this was dismissed as it was felt that a partnership with a small village would not be mutually beneficial for Portsmouth. Cllr Russell Simpson suggested that Odesa would be a more appropriate Ukranian sister city.
The council also declined potential partnerships with the Birim Central Municipality in Ghana, and the cities of Çanakkale and Fethiye in Turkey.
Cllr Jason Fazackarley, Portsmouth’s mayor, criticised council officers for not recommending Navoi in Uzbekistan due to concerns over the country’s authoritarian regime. He noted that Portsmouth had twinned with Duisburg in Germany just five years after the Second World War to help foster a new democracy.
Finally, the decision to twin with Jericho in the West Bank, Palestine, was deferred due to complications arising from the current situation in the region.
The council’s ruling cabinet will review the recommendations.