The city of Sterling Heights in the U.S. state of Michigan has passed a resolution this week to form a sister city partnership with Ankawa, a district of Erbil.
The partnership links the predominantly Chaldean city of Ankawa with Sterling Heights, a city where more than 20% of the population is estimated to be Chaldean Christians.
Read More: Michigan’s Thriving Chaldean Community
The Sterling Heights-based Chaldean Community Foundation first requested that Ankawa and Sterling Heights start talks to become sister cities in April 2024.
We were invited by The Chaldean-American Chamber of Commerce in Michigan.
— Ramy Noori (@RamySyawish) May 1, 2024
During the visit, we did several meetings, including an exchange with Mr. Michael C. Taylor, Mayor of Sterling Heights.
We mentioned the @Kurdistan role in supporting Christians community in homeland. pic.twitter.com/hpZFoBH5Ur
Ankawa District Mayor Ramy Noori Syawish visited the United States on May 1, 2024. His trip took him to Michigan, where he met with Sterling Heights Mayor Michael C. Taylor to discuss the partnership.
In a video produced by Sterling Heights Television on August 21, Mayor Taylor underlined that the establishment of this latest sister city partnership “represents a valuable opportunity for city leadership to explore potential economic development opportunities and more that have mutual benefit to both of our communities.”
“We look forward to signing this resolution and inviting a delegation from Ankawa to visit Sterling Heights in the near future. Hopefully during our annual cultural exchange event this spring, we’ll be highlighting Ankawa’s rich cultural heritage for hundreds of residents, as well as showing off our beautiful community in turn.”
He also said they hope at some point to send a delegation from Sterling Heights to Ankawa.
Sterling Heights also enjoys several sister city partnerships with other cities in Sri Lanka, Albania, the Philippines, and more.
“These partnerships allow our residents to explore and learn about the many other cultures represented in Sterling Heights and to welcome and embrace neighbors who may be from another part of the world,” Mayor Taylor said.
The Ankawa Sister Cities Program has been approved On August 20, Sterling Heights City Council greenlit this initiative, boosting business innovation, community development, and cultural exchange.
— Ramy Noori (@RamySyawish) August 22, 2024
Thanks to Mayor @MayorMikeTaylor, @ChaldeanCF, and PM @masrourbarzani for support pic.twitter.com/cezwEOPbeb
Mayor Syawish, speaking in Syriac, said that the “collaboration between the city of Ankawa and the city of Sterling Heights will strengthen our relations in the areas of culture and heritage and allow us to exchange ideas and expertise for the mutual benefit of our communities.”
“This initiative, proposed by the Chaldean Community Foundation, holds great value to us. We hope to invest in it, work on it, and utilize it for the betterment of both our cities. Thank you for your interest and support. We look forward to meeting soon and signing the agreement.
“The Kurdistan Regional Government, through immense effort, supports Ankawa and its Christian and Chaldean communities. Prime Minister Masrour Barzani is a great supporter of all initiatives that serve the best interest of our community, ensuring our residents, with a heritage that dates back 7,000 years, reemain on their land.”
