What we do
The Sister Cities Commission was established in 1991 by the Council of the City Of Richmond to coordinate international relationships for the citizens of Richmond, Virginia.
Richmond holds relationships with Richmond-upon-Thames (UK, since 1938), Saitama (Japan, since 1993), Zhengzhou (China, since 1994), Olsztyn (Poland, since 1994), Windhoek (Namibia, since 1998), and Ségou (Mali, since 2009). From this core group of six bilateral city partnerships, the Commission promotes vibrant exchanges that showcase the best each city has to offer to the rest of the world. Activities have focused on education, sports, the arts, science, public health, the environment, technology and economic development, and the cultivation of young people to become the next generations of engaged global citizens.
With an eye towards the future, we aim to continuously widen our global reach by forging new Sister Cities partnerships across the world that reflect and enhance our own community’s values and interests.
Richmond Upon Thames
UK
Saitama
Japan
Windhoek
Namibia
Zhengzhou
China
Olsztyn
Poland
Ségou
Mali
Our vision and mission
Richmond Sister Cities Commission seeks to be a conduit for all Richmonders in the Virginia capital region who wish to connect with people of other nationalities and cultures, fostering international cultural and educational exchange, everyday citizen diplomacy, and cross-cultural community development.
We strive to spotlight and celebrate the increasingly diverse character of our region’s growing population.
We seek to continuously strengthen our multicultural, multiethnic, and multinational community and elevate its profile, both inwardly and outwardly, as a defining feature of the Greater Richmond area.