A twinning agreement between the municipality of Dakhla and the city of Columbus, Ohio, in the United States was signed on Wednesday in Dakhla. The agreement aims to strengthen bilateral cooperation across various areas of mutual interest. The agreement was signed by the President of the Dakhla Communal Council, Erragheb Hormatallah, and the Mayor of Columbus, Andrew Ginther, in the presence of the Wali of the Dakhla-Oued Eddahab region, the Governor of Oued-Eddahab province, Ali Khalil, as well as the Mayor of Arlington, Texas, Jim Ross, and other elected officials. In a statement to the press, Andrew Ginther, Mayor of Columbus and President of the U.S. Conference of Mayors, expressed his delight at visiting Dakhla for the first time and connecting with the Moroccan people. He emphasized the importance of building a strong relationship and praised King Mohammed VI's forward-thinking vision for the development of Morocco's southern provinces. This agreement, he added, opens promising opportunities for the people of both Dakhla and Columbus through the exchange of best practices in various fields, including culture and sustainable development. Erragheb Hormatallah, President of the Dakhla Communal Council, stated that the agreement will benefit the residents of both cities by fostering partnership and cooperation with the United States. He also highlighted that it will promote large-scale development projects that the region is currently experiencing in various sectors. Both parties emphasized that the signing of this agreement reflects the mutual desire to strengthen relations of understanding, partnership, and constructive friendship. These relations are based on mutual respect, equality, and common interests, in line with the laws and regulations in force. The twinning agreement also underscores the importance of cultural exchange, socio-economic development, environmental governance, education, and capacity-building for future generations. Under the terms of the agreement, both cities aim to enhance cooperation and partnership in sectors such as culture, art, education, tourism, sustainable economic development, and the organization of joint events. On the sidelines of the agreement's signing, members of the American delegation attended a presentation by Mounir Houari, Director of the Dakhla-Oued Eddahab Regional Investment Center. Houari highlighted the region's large-scale projects, including the Dakhla Atlantique port, distribution and trade zones in Bir Gandouz and El Guerguarat, the West Africa Free Zone near the port, and the seawater desalination project to irrigate 5,000 hectares of agricultural land.
