Jaffna to twin with UK local authority

by Manjula Fernando

The Northern Province Chief Minister is to sign a memorandum of understanding to make Jaffna a twin city with a local authority in the UK, Kingston upon Thames.

The City’s website announced that the Chief Minister, retired Justice C.V. Wigneswaran, will lead a delegation to the UK to ink the deal at the Kingston Council Hall on October 18.

The Chief Minister in an interview with the Sunday Observer earlier, said they were making preparations to tie up with the local authority of a friendly country and that he had received the green light from the government.

He said, “It would bring mutual benefits to the said Local Authority as well as our Northern Province.”

Although there has not been any statement from the Northern Chief Minister’s office on the upcoming event, Leader of the Kingston Council, Kevin Davis, said, “The Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames has a rich history of community cohesion.

Our twinning with Jaffna celebrates our large local Tamil community and recognises the importance it plays in the borough.”

According to the website, “Kingston has approximately 12,000 Tamils living in the borough and is one of the largest and fastest growing local communities.”

“Tamil is now Kingston’s second language,” it further announced.

The Tamil community within the council jurisdiction has been invited to take part in the event and tickets for the event are to be distributed free.

Kingston is also twinned with Oldenburg in Germany and Gwanak-Gu in Seoul, South Korea.

The Foreign Ministry spokesperson was not available for comment.