Larnaca signed a twinning agreement on Tuesday with Manama, the capital and largest city of Bahrain, effectively becoming the first Cypriot city to twin with a city in the Gulf. The deal covers cooperation on coastal resources, waste management, public parks and digital transformation.
Larnaca mayor Andreas Vyras signed the agreement in Manama on 3 November with Aleya Yahya, director general at Bahrain’s Ministry of Local Government. The signing was attended by Bahrain’s Minister of Local Government, Wael bin Nasser Al-Mubarak, and the governor of the capital, Khalid bin Humood bin Abdullah Al Khalifa.
Under the agreement, the two cities will make use of their coastal resources and improve services and facilities. They will run joint programmes to share expertise and modern technology in waste management, environmental awareness and the development of public parks, and will exchange best practice on digital transformation, among other areas.
Before the signing, Vyras, who is also president of the Union of Cyprus Municipalities, met Crown Prince and Prime Minister Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa at Riffa Palace.
Bahraini media covered the meeting extensively, highlighting what they described as a new chapter in relations between Cyprus and Bahrain. They reported that the crown prince referred to progress in deepening bilateral ties in various areas.
Vyras told Phileleftheros the visit had been very important, not least the meeting with the crown prince, who he said is hard to get to see. “The crown prince told us how much he values Cyprus,” Vyras said, adding that the crown prince had said he would work to make the cooperation deliver results.
Vyras said the delegation had met several Bahraini ministers. They had raised cooperation with Bahrain’s business association, the counterpart of the Larnaca Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and a meeting will be arranged between business groups from the two countries on cooperation in sectors such as tourism, imports, exports and food.
Lowering air fares to and from Bahrain was among the issues discussed with Bahrain’s transport minister, Vyras said. He said it had also been agreed with the culture minister to hold a joint event under the Larnaca 2030 European Capital of Culture organisation.
Vyras praised Cyprus’s ambassador in the region, Andreas Eliades, who he said had done very good work and attended all the meetings.
The agreement followed efforts by the Cypriot government to strengthen relations between the two countries.
