Addressing a news conference on Friday, Mangalore City Corporation Mayor Rajani Dugganna said that both the Mayors will sign the Memorandum of Understanding to strengthen ties between the two cities in field of economics, culture and business, promote cultural exchange and build a bi-lateral relationship, wherein best practices of both cities will be exchanged.

Duganna said that the delegation will be given a traditional welcome to Louise Jackson and her team including Chief Administrative Officer George Harvie and Administrative Manager Mangit Kiala, who will arrive in Mangalore on October 12.

Municipal Commissioner Dr K N Vijayprakash said that both Mayors will sign an MoU on October 12, which is aimed at development of cities economically, educationally and to exchange the cultural values. Collaborative efforts will be made and initiatives will be taken to foster cross-cultural exchange.

“The tourism potential in both cities will be linked and technology available in the agriculture and other sectors will be exchanged,” he said adding that discussions will be held with officials and elected representatives and later the Louise Jackson will also interact with the mediapersons.

The team will be in Mangalore for three days and will leave the City on October 14 after visiting important places in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts such as NMPT, KCCI, Manipal University, Krishna Mutt and others, he added.

Explaining how Mangalore has been chosen by the Corporation of Delta for visit, Vijayaprakash said that it was a presentation on Mangalore City’s development made by former Mayor M Shanker Bhat at Bangkok in 2009 prompted the officials of Corporation of Delta to chose the City for the implementation of collaborative development programme.

Shanker Bhat, addressing the gathering said that Mangalore City was one of the four cities in India, which were short-listed from 120 cities across the world by the British Columbia Trade and Cultural Development Foundation. Mangalore has been chosen finally since the City has all infrastructure including port, international airport and railway stations and has many similarities to share with Corporation of Delta. Further, advancement in the education sector too has attracted the attention of the Foundation, Bhat said.

Dr K N Vijayprakash said that Corporation is also looking at the possibility of visiting Corporation of Delta if all goes well.