A delegation led by Vilnius Mayor Valdas Benkunskas visited Nagoya on September 3–4.
On September 4, Vilnius Mayor Valdas Benkunskas and Nagoya Mayor Ichiro Hirokawa signed a city-to-city twinning agreement aimed at developing dialogue based on democratic values, fostering cooperation in the fields of culture, the arts, preservation of historical memory, environmental sustainability and economic development, and promoting the exchange of innovations and best practices.
A delegation led by Vilnius Mayor Valdas Benkunskas visited Nagoya on September 3–4.
On September 4, Vilnius Mayor Valdas Benkunskas and Nagoya Mayor Ichiro Hirokawa signed a city-to-city twinning agreement aimed at developing dialogue based on democratic values, fostering cooperation in the fields of culture, the arts, preservation of historical memory, environmental sustainability and economic development, and promoting the exchange of innovations and best practices.
Through these areas of partnership, Vilnius and Nagoya seek to create meaningful opportunities for institutional and professional exchanges, strengthen people-to-people ties, cooperate in addressing common urban challenges, and promote and build a more sustainable future for their communities.
“By signing this agreement, we choose to believe that dialogue is stronger than distance, cooperation stronger than isolation, and trust stronger than disrespect. Human connections, regardless of geographical distance, are one of the strongest foundations of peace,” said Vilnius Mayor Valdas Benkunskas.
On the same day, Mayor Benkunskas attended the official opening of the exhibition Lithuania – Songs Echoing Through the Baltic Forests at the Nagoya City Museum. This is the first exhibition of its scale in Japan dedicated to Lithuanian history and culture. It was curated jointly by the National Museum of Lithuania and the Nagoya City Museum.
During their visit to Nagoya, the Vilnius delegation also explored advanced industrial and sustainability solutions implemented in the city. They visited the smart Minato AQULS community, which uses renewable energy and an advanced energy management system; the Kobelco Eco Maintenance plastic recycling center; and Toyota’s Motomachi Plant, where hybrid, hydrogen-powered and electric vehicles are manufactured.
Nagoya, one of Japan’s most important industrial and technological centers, offers new opportunities for cooperation in the fields of smart cities, green technologies, advanced manufacturing and innovation. The partnership also provides an opportunity to strengthen links between the technology, startup, laser and photonics ecosystems of the two cities.
According to Aurelijus Zykas, Ambassador of Lithuania to Japan, Nagoya has a particularly close connection with Lithuania through the legacy of diplomat Chiune Sugihara. Sugihara’s story became one of the starting points that encouraged Nagoya to seek closer partnership with Lithuania. Today, this cooperation encompasses a wide range of areas, including academic and cultural cooperation, the economy, technology and logistics.
The Vilnius–Nagoya partnership is the sixth city-twinning agreement between Lithuania and Japan. Previous agreements have linked Klaipėda with Kuji, Kaunas with Yaotsu, Panevėžys with Toyohashi, Kaunas with Hiratsuka, and Birštonas with Kaga.
