Phnom Penh on Wednesday cemented a “sister city” relationship with Lowell, Massachusetts, which has the second largest Cambodian-American population in the U.S. after Long Beach, California.
Phnom Penh governor Pa Socheatvong and Lowell Mayor Rodney Elliot met at City Hall on Wednesday to ink a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the two municipalities.
“The signing of this sister city MoU will strengthen the cooperation between Phnom Penh city and Lowell city,” said Mr. Socheatvong during the meeting. Contacted by telephone afterward, the governor said he hoped the agreement would boost tourism to Phnom Penh.
“It will improve cooperation on commercial, tourism and economic matters,” he said.
Mayor Elliot, who is visiting Phnom Penh as part of a delegation from Lowell, met with CNRP Vice President Kem Sokha and other opposition officials at the National Assembly on Tuesday.
The delegation is scheduled to meet with King Norodom Sihamoni and Prime Minister Hun Sen before it returns to the U.S. on Saturday.
