Mayor LaFrance, Assembly Chair Constant, and Anchorage delegation return from Sister Cities diplomatic mission

Mayor Suzanne LaFrance, Assembly Chair Christopher Constant, and a delegation of Anchorage business representatives and community leaders completed a Sister Cities diplomatic mission last week.

Along with visits to long-time Sister Cities Chitose, Japan and Incheon, South Korea, the Municipality's Chief Administrative Officer, Bill Falsey, signed a Letter of Intent with Busan, South Korea, to prioritize cooperation around tourism, maritime ports and logistics, and cultural exchange. Due to the Typhoon Halong disaster, Mayor LaFrance bowed out of the South Korea visit, joining the delegation in Japan.

"Supporting our Sister City relationships has been part of the job of the Anchorage Mayor since the 1960s," said Mayor LaFrance. "It's an honor to participate in this kind of citizen diplomacy, building person-to-person ties. No matter what's happening on the international stage, and despite our cultural differences, we can still recognize our similarities and advance our mutual interests at the local level."

The delegation took on a wide range of diplomatic activities to build relationships and market Anchorage's role as an international hub for tourism, seafood, air cargo, maritime cargo, and more. Along with convening meetings with the Vice Mayor of Incheon, Vice Mayor for Future Innovation in Busan, and Mayor of Chitose, the delegation visited historic Sister City sites with their local counterparts, such as Anchorage Park.

"For nearly sixty years, Anchorage's Sister City partnerships have shown the power of connection beyond borders. I am grateful to have been part of carrying on these important international relationships. I'm proud to stand with Mayor LaFrance in continuing this tradition of citizen diplomacy-one built not on politics, but on friendship, respect, and shared purpose," said Assembly Chair Constant. "I would also like to thank Visit Anchorage for making this trip possible."

Along with Mayor LaFrance and Anchorage Assembly Chair Constant, delegates from the Municipality included Constituent Relations Director Marie Husa and Chief Administrative Officer Bill Falsey. Community leaders included Sister City Commission Chair Emily Cho, Visit Anchorage's Tourism and Convention Sales Manager Alex Wong, Visit Anchorage's Japan Market Representative Takako Nambu, UAA Professor Emeritus and Chitose City Representative for the Anchorage Sister City Committee Hiroko Harada, Executive Director of the Alaska Youth Orchestra Pierre Derycz, Sand Lake Elementary Japanese immersion teacher Haruki Kamimura, and Fur Rondy Board of Directors President-Elect Beth Helgeson. Two former Sister Cities Commissioners, YohYon Pharr and Nan Ha, as well as President & Chief Executive Officer for the Alaska International Business Center Greg Wolf, also joined for the Incheon visit.

The Sister Cities program was founded in 1956 to promote trade and cultural understanding through citizen diplomacy at the local level. Chair Constant and Mayor LaFrance hosted a delegation from Chitose, Japan in Anchorage in summer 2024. Anchorage and Chitose have been Sister Cities since 1969; Anchorage and Incheon have been Sister Cities since 1986. More information about the Municipality's sister cities is available at anchoragesisterci​ties.org.

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Contact: Emily Goodykoontz [email protected] 1 (907) 205-6683

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