April 23, 2001
Council Moving Forward with Potential 
New Sister County Relationship
Council to Consider International Bond with Cuban Province

Metropolitan King County Councilmember Dwight Pelz today introduced a measure asking the council to take the next step in establishing a sister county relationship with the province of Granma, Cuba.

“Elected officials from Granma Province have expressed a strong interest in establishing an ongoing relationship with King County,” said Pelz. “We’re now taking the necessary steps to make this happen. This is a prime opportunity to explore the cultural, social, and economic benefits of reaching across international borders and joining with our Cuban counterparts in a dialogue of friendship and understanding.”

Seattle residents have traveled to Cuba and worked with government officials from Granma Province to initiate this sisterhood effort, inviting King County officials to explore the desirability of such a relationship. Granma is similar in geographic size to King County; the province lies situated on a saltwater bay with mountainous regions and has a population of 800,000. The commonwealth of Pennsylvania and eight U.S. cities, including the city of Tacoma, have already established sister jurisdiction relationships with similar governments in Cuba.

King County currently enjoys international sister county relations with Kaohsiung County in the Republic of China and Hwasong County in the Republic of Korea.

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