Left to right: Former Mayor Jim Brainard; Raju Chinthala, President of Indiana India Business Council; and His Holiness, Parama Pujaya Sri Sampoornanandagiri Swamiji

Golagani Hari Venkata Kumari, Mayor of Visakhapatnam

Left to right: Raju Chinthala, President of Indiana India Business Council and former Mayor Jim Brainard

The City of Carmel has a new Sister City relationship with Visakhapatnam, a city in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India. Former Mayor Jim Brainard joined an international virtual meeting on Tuesday, July 26, with Golagani Hari Venkata Kumari, who serves as Mayor of Visakhapatnam, to sign a memorandum of understanding that formally establishes the relationship. Saikanth Varma, Commissioner of Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC), Raju Chinthala, President of Indiana India Business Council and Pavan Varma Resident of Carmel also joined the signing ceremony.

This is Carmel's fifth international Sister City relationship. Prior to this, Carmel had established similar relationships with Jelgava, Latvia; Cortona, Italy; Kawachinagano, Osaka, Japan; and Xiangyang, Hubei, China.

"Carmel is home to a great diversity of residents who come from all over the world and it's important that we reach out and connect with other cities so that we can exchange ideas and learn from each other," said former Mayor Brainard. "These relationships are key to promote and broaden economic cooperation and cultural exchanges, international goodwill and understanding."

According to the memorandum, the focus of future exchanges will include the exchange of people, ideas and information in a wide variety of areas of mutual interest, including business, trade, culture, education, healthcare, government, technology and other endeavors. The agreement also establishes a joint effort to explore the growth of business and trade relations between the two economies.

Visakhapatnam is the largest and most populous metropolitan city in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is situated between the Eastern Ghats mountain ranges and the coast of the Bay of Bengal. The city's history dates back to the 6th century BCE when it became an ancient Port city which had trade relations with the Middle East and Rome. The city is home to several educational institutions and is the headquarters for the Indian Navy's Eastern Naval Command. Visakhapatnam is also a major tourist destination and is known for its beaches, ancient Buddhist sites, and the natural environment of the surrounding Eastern Ghats. It is nicknamed the "City of Destiny" and "Jewel of the East Coast."

You can learn more about the city and opportunities for tourism by clicking here: Visakhapatnam.ap.gov.in/tourism