AUSTIN, Texas — The city of Austin has entered a new agreement that will enable further collaboration with a major city in the United Kingdom.
On Friday, Austin Mayor Kirk Watson was joined by Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham at Austin City Hall to officially enter a “Friendship Cities Agreement” between the two cities.
The agreement means the two cities will collaborate in key areas in certain areas moving forward, including tourism, economic development, technology, education, arts and music.
“Between the United Kingdom and Texas over the last decade, there have been about 338 investment projects, British investment projects here in Texas,” U.K. General Consul to Texas Sujeevan Sathesan said at Friday’s event. “And in the opposite direction, there have been about 241 Texan companies who have invested in the U.K. So that gives you a sense of the alignment between our two economies at that macro level.”
The first event that will occur under the new agreement will be the Austin Music Trade Alliance Kick-Off, a free community concert which is happening at Auditorium Shores on Sunday, March 9.