Montego Bay to be twinned with city in Greece

The city of Montego Bay, the capital of St James, is set to be twinned with the Grecian city of Sitia.

This will be formalised at a ceremony to be held on Thursday, February 23 at 5 p.m. at Sam Sharpe Square

Negotiations started between the cities last September and benefits are expected to be derived both ways, Mayor of Montego Bay Leeroy Williams said.

“This includes student exchange programmes between the Hellenic University based in Sitia and universities in Montego Bay,” Williams said.

“Crete is the base for many shipping companies, with Greece having the largest shipping fleet in the world. So in conjunction with the Caribbean Maritime Institute, under the direction of Admiral Peter Brady, there will be opportunities for Jamaican seafarers who desire employment on Greek vessels.”

Both countries share tourism and agriculture as sources of income.

“Montego Bay has the desire to attract more tourists from southern and eastern Europe and twinning would be beneficial because this part of Europe has had minimal exposure to tourism in Jamaica,” Williams said.

Sitia hopes to benefit from Jamaica's prowess in sports, particularly athletics.

Williams also believes Crete, with its expertise in agricultural technologies, will help to boost local agriculture in the parish.

The Grecian delegation will be led by Mayor Georgios Zerkavis and will arrive in Jamaica on Friday to formalise the agreement. 

- Mark Titus 

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