BY SAMIE WAIKORI
The Premier of Makira Ulawa Province, Stanley Siapu says his government is on track with its preparation to establish sister relations with Guizhou province of China.
During the middle of this year, Siapu and his Minister of Commerce, Hon Martin Karani joined a delegation led by the Deputy Speaker to Parliament and MP for East Honiara, Morris To’iraena to a Global Eco Forum in Guiyang City in China.
On the margin of the forum, the Premier and his team had the privilege to meet with officials from Guizhou province, and high on the discussion was the proposed sister relationship between the two provinces.
In an interview with the paper yesterday, Premier Siapu said after the dialogue, Makira Ulawa provincial government has been working cooperatively with the Chinese embassy office in Honiara on the initiative.
“At the moment, we are still working with the embassy office in Honiara on the understanding, which will lay the fabric for the sister relations.
“After we complete it, the two provinces will sign the formal establishment of the relationship,” he said.
The proposed sister-relationship will cement a foundation for exchange programs and partnership between the two provinces.
The interests of Makira Ulawa province under the cooperation with Guizhou include; health, education, fisheries, forestry, tourism and transportation.
In the meantime, Premier Siapu also highlighted support of his government behind similar arrangement between Ulawa Island and Arawa City in Japan.
He said the arrangement also gears towards cooperation on areas of development interests of the two regions.
Siapu noted that successful consultations have been carried out with communities on the initiative, by a committee that is leading the partnership.
He said he will be in Honiara around mid October and some of the businesses he will pursue are the province’s sister relation with Guizhou and the one with Ulawa and Arawa City in Japan.
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