National Capital District Governor Powes Parkop and Jeff Williams, Director of Community Engagement in the Office of Long Beach Mayor Rex Richardson, signed a ceremonial Sister City agreement between Long Beach, California and Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea on Friday.
The charter builds on a shared history between our nations and emphasizes how both cities status as major ports postures them well for further collaboration in areas such as business, education, and tourism.
On a trip facilitated by the U.S. Embassy in Papua New Guinea, Jeff Williams is in Port Moresby to represent the Mayor of Long Beach. During his visit, Jeff met with government and private sector officials including the Tourism Promotion Authority, Nature Conservancy, and more.
He also enjoyed seeing Port Moresby for the first time, experiencing sites such as the Nature Park and the National Museum and Archives. During these visits and discussions, officials identified opportunities for deeper economic, educational, and cultural exchanges.
The City of Long Beach, California is located south of Los Angeles and known for its waterfront tourism, destinations such as the Aquarium of the Pacific, and as an educational destination, home to the Headquarters of the California State University System. Long Beach will be a significant destination in the coming years.
In 2026, Long Beach will welcome visitors from around the world during the FIFA World Cup. In 2028, serving as a venue host for the 2028 Summer Olympics, Long Beach will host 11 events and 7 paralympic events.
“Papua New Guinea is a beautiful country with friendly people. I had a great time visiting Port Moresby!” said Jeff Williams. “Port Moresby and Long Beach are both coastal, urban cities and have many similarities upon which to continue building our relationship.
There are great opportunities to share ideas and learn from each other, especially around education, trade and tourism.”
“We are all excited to have entered into a sister city relationship with the City of Long Beach, California, USA.” said NCD Governor Powes Parkop. “We are both port cities; similar in economy; similar in lifestyle but miles away from each other at the opposite sides of the great Pacific Ocean.
This newly forged relationship will enhance the long relationship between our two countries and bring the Pacific closer than before. On behalf of our capital city, I welcome and look forward to harnessing all the opportunities and possibilities between our two sister cities.”
The Long Beach – Port Moresby Sister City MOU will be finalized when signed by Long Beach Mayor, Rex Richardson. An official copy will be mailed back to Port Moresby.
In addition to the ceremonial MOU signing between Long Beach and Port Moresby, a delegation from Poplar, Wisconsin, signed an MOU with Madang on Wednesday, July 9. Both delegations are sponsored by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and facilitated by the U.S. Embassy in Port Moresby.
“We are thrilled that Poplar and Long Beach are leading the way as we build new partnerships with our friends in the Pacific Islands” said Carlo Capua, Board Chair of Sister Cities International. “Subnational diplomacy and people-to-people connections are often the most sustainable (and fun) pathways to long-term peace and security.”
In 2023, the US launched the “7 for 70” Campaign to enhance engagement with the Pacific Islands. The goal is to create seven Sister City partnerships with Pacific Island nations by 2026 for Sister Cities International’s 70th Anniversary.
It is particularly meaningful to forge these partnerships in the lead up to Papua New Guinea’s 50th Anniversary of Independence.
