Karachi, one German metropolis to be declared sister cities

German Consul General Dr Rüdiger Lotz met Karachi Commissioner Muhammad Iqbal Memon at his office on Friday, and the two officials decided to declare any one city of Germany a sister city of Karachi.

They discussed a wide range of opportunities to increase cultural and academic exchanges between the two countries, emphasizing the need for expanding and strengthening the long-running partnership.

The German consul general said Karachi was not only the economic centre of Pakistan, but a vibrant, bustling metropolis full of culture, diversity and dynamism. He expressed interest in helping the city become more sustainable by providing civic amenities in Karachi, feeding a city that was rapidly growing in population as well as in economic size.

The two officials agreed to declare Karachi and a city of Germany to be declared sister cities. They discussed the projects to be conceptualised that could be brought for the improvement of sister cities. The commissioner hoped it would help both the cities to explore cultural and educational of each other.

The consul general also briefed the commissioner about the Pakistan-German Climate and Energy Initiative. He said it would help Pakistan combating the adverse impact of climate change.

Memon appreciated the role of the Goethe Institute in the city in the field of research, education and culture. The Goethe Institute in Karachi, he said, had played a pivotal role in harnessing cultural relations between the two countries through its programmes and language courses.

Germany was one of the most popular destinations for young Pakistani researchers wishing to pursue higher education, he added. The commissioner wished that further opportunities would be explored to provide research and higher education to the people of Karachi.