Twinning of Kaohsiung and Prishtina. Mayor Chen Chi-Mai: Deepen Cooperation in Smart City and Startups

Kaohsiung City has become the first Asian sister city of Prishtina, the capital of the Republic of Kosovo! Mayor Përparim Rama of Prishtina paid a courtesy call to Mayor Chen Chi-Mai of Kaohsiung City this morning (March 22nd). The two mayors signed the Sister City Agreement, and Prishtina city become the 39th Sister and Friendship City of Kaohsiung City. Both cities have agreed to deepen exchanges in smart traffic, smart healthcare, digital transformation, culture, and education. Mayor Chen also pointed out that he expects both sides to work closely in areas such as smart city to advance technology and ICT industries and promote human resources exchanges.

Mayor Përparim Rama’s delegation attended the Smart City Summit & Expo between March 18th and 23rd. The highlight of his trip in Taiwan is the twinning ceremony of Kaohsiung and Prishtina. On the morning of March 22nd, Mayor Chen Chi-Mai of Kaohsiung City and Mayor Përparim Rama of Prishtina City signed and exchanged the Sister City Agreement under the witness of Ambassador Liu Shih-Chung of the Taipei Representative Office in Budapest, Hungary. Mayor Rama also plans to attend the MOU signing ceremony between MEGABAY and Innovation Centre Kosovo (ICK) to witness the first step of cooperation between both cities.

In his opening remark, Mayor Chen Chi-Mai of Kaohsiung City first showed his gratitude towards Ambassador Liu of the Taipei Representative Office in Budapest, Hungary, for bringing the two cities together. According to Mayor Chen, the relationship between Taiwan and Europe has grown closer in recent years. Kosovo and Taiwan both face similar challenges in their pursuit of freedom and democracy, which makes the twinning of Kaohsiung and Prishtina more meaningful than ever. As the largest harbor city in Southern Taiwan, Kaohsiung seeks to upgrade and transform its local industries by bringing in businesses such as TSMC and advancing industries such as 5G AIoT, semiconductors, and electric vehicles to become a digital smart city. During the Prishtina delegation's visit to the Smart City Summit & Expo, the Kaohsiung City Government showcased exhibits such as electric buses, smart healthcare, startup business, and artificial intelligence, hoping to deepen exchanges between both sides and promote cooperation in various fields.

Mayor Rama mentioned that he is very excited to attend the Smart City & Expo and sign the sister cities agreement with Kaohsiung City. During his visit, Mayor Rama felt Kaohsiung's vibrancy, resilience, and creativity firsthand. He witnessed the transformation of Kaohsiung from an industrial metropolis to a smart city. Mayor Rama was also impressed by the hospitality shown by the people of Kaohsiung, and he believes that both cities share the same values and experience and that friendship and cooperation will bring both cities closer in the future. Both cities want to cooperate in areas such as smart city, information and communication technology, as well as startup businesses. Both cities also consented to take concrete steps to strengthen their bond and partnership.

Ambassador Liu of the Taipei Representative Office in Budapest, Hungary, is the key figure behind the twinning of Kaohsiung and Prishtina. He participated in the signing ceremony through video conferencing and gave his blessing. Ambassador Liu said, “he is very honored to witness this historical moment and the twinning of Kaohsiung and Prishtina. Even though Taiwan and Kosovo are located far from one another, by visiting Kaohsiung personally, Mayor Rama can understand the progress made by Kaohsiung while bringing the two cities as well as Taiwan and the Balkans closer.”

Mayor Rama and his delegation spent four days in Kaohsiung and were warmly received by the Kaohsiung City Government. During his stay, the Kaohsiung City Government arranged for the architect-turned-mayor to visit the Kaohsiung Main Library and gave his delegation a tour of the green building. As one of the CityCOP speakers, Mayor Rama shared his experience in promoting net zero and sustainability. The Prishtina delegation also took a ride on the LRT and a yacht tour of the Asia New Bay Area to learn more about the different elements of Kaohsiung and discover more possibilities for cooperation between the two cities.