Alexandria is renewing its commitment to international friendship through its sister city relationship with Caen, France, as Mayor Alyia Gaskins and Councilman John Taylor Chapman recently returned from celebrating the French city’s 1,000-year anniversary.
The visit, which took place in mid-March, provided an opportunity for Alexandria officials to strengthen ties with their French counterparts and discuss future collaborations between the two historic cities.
“Our sister city Caen celebrated its 1,000-year anniversary and the mayor and I had an opportunity to travel there to celebrate with them last week and also to talk about Caen,” Councilman Chapman reports during the March 25 City Council meeting.
The milestone celebration serves as a catalyst for renewed engagement between the sister cities.
Chapman noted that Caen officials “wanted to use this as an opportunity to set a new tone for how they work with their sister cities and kind of what to expect from them.”
During their visit, Alexandria representatives engaged in productive conversations with Caen city staff about the future of their relationship and potential collaborative initiatives.
“We had some great conversations with their city staff about what we can look forward to in terms of relationship with Caen as a sister city,” Chapman explained.
The trip also prompted discussions about Alexandria’s overall approach to sister city relationships. Chapman mentions that the visit “gave us an opportunity to talk about what we do with our sister cities, not just Caen, but how we structure our sister cities here in the city of Alexandria.”
Mayor Gaskins emphasized the significance of maintaining these international connections, especially in today’s global climate.
“At this time in the world that we are in, having international friendships is not just a symbolic gesture, it is critical,” Gaskins said, recounting conversations with Caen officials.
The mayor highlighted how Caen representatives expressed the importance of Alexandria’s presence at their celebration, stating they “want it to be clear to the world that we are more than friends, we are partners, we are collaborators, and there’s so much we can do to learn from each other.”
One potential area for collaboration involves flood management expertise. Mayor Gaskins noted that Caen’s university “has an entire institute that is dedicated to mapping sort of flood events and how do you prepare, what types of sensors do you use.”
This expertise could prove valuable for Alexandria, which recently recognized Virginia Flood Awareness Week and continues to address flooding challenges through its Flood Action Alexandria initiative.
Beyond specific projects, the visit reinforced a broader commitment to international cooperation at the local government level.
“Most importantly, a renewed commitment to friendship, a renewed commitment to sharing of ideas, and a renewed commitment to reminding the world that no matter what else may be going on, that local governments will still find ways to collaborate and do the things that they need to do for their residents,” Gaskins said.
The sister city relationship with Caen, which officially began in 1991, is part of Alexandria’s broader international engagement strategy. Chapman reminded the council that the city has a pending memo to staff regarding the potential addition of two new sister cities.
“We do have a memo to staff that talks about them coming back to us to look at two additional sister cities,” Chapman said, indicating that discussions about expanding Alexandria’s international relationships are forthcoming.
The councilman anticipates “future conversations about what we’re doing with sister cities in the city of Alexandria and hopefully two new sister cities to celebrate and have and create a relationship with.”
Mayor Gaskins acknowledged that international travel for city officials involves personal expense and time away from family, but she believes the diplomatic benefits justify these sacrifices.
“It’s not always easy to decide to go on these trips because as a council person or mayor, this is a personal expense that you’re making, whether it’s time away from the family or just the cost of the trip,” Gaskins explained. “But I have to say, I think it was one of the most important things that we could do.”
Besides Caen, France, the Sister Cities of Alexandria include Dundee, Scotland; Helsingborg, Sweden; and Gyumri, Armenia.
