Laayoune Becomes Hollywood, Florida’s Sister City

Rabat – The Moroccan city of Laayoune and the city of Hollywood, Florida signed a twinning agreement on May 10, strengthening their economic, cultural, educational, and touristic cooperation.

Through the agreement, Laayoune has been officially added to Hollywood’s sister cities program.

The Sister Cities program seeks to establish and strengthen relationships between the US and communities worldwide through local government cooperation, cultural understanding, and economic development.

The agreement was signed by the president of the Communal Council of Laayoune Moulay Hamdi Ould Errachid and Mayor of Hollywood Josh Levy at the headquarters of the municipality of Laayoune.

According to both parties, the agreement opens promising prospects for the consolidation of partnership in various sectors including tourism, environment, culture, arts, academic research, and sustainable development.

“This agreement marks the beginning of a closer relationship between the two cities in the economic and cultural fields,” Levy said at the conclusion of the signing ceremony.

The mayor of Hollywood also expressed his wish to further consolidate bilateral relations, through the exchange of visits of delegations from both cities.

The priority sectors in Laayoune and Florida are similar and complementary, he noted, citing in particular aviation, agriculture and education.

Ould Errachid stressed that the agreement, which comes after Washington DC’s recognition of Morocco’s sovereignty over Western Sahara, aims to deepen bilateral cooperation in various areas.

He also expressed his willingness to establish mutually beneficial relations in all sectors of common interest with the American city.

Founded in 1956, Sister Cities International is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization which serves as the national membership organization for sister cities, counties, and states across the US with the aim of promoting peace through mutual respect, understanding and cooperation

Last week, a delegation of British Conservative MPs from the House of Lords visited the city of Laayoune, emphasizing that the region has a strong commercial potential, particularly in terms of export and import, as it serves as an entry point for products from all over the world.