In 2001, the municipal authorities created a Directorate of International Relations in order to better coordinate the town’s international activities. This body prepares and coordinates projects with the eleven partner towns (cultural, sports, economic, medical exchanges; humanitarian and solidarity projects, etc.); coordinates school exchanges, especially with China; organises the reception of foreign delegations; coordinates information initiatives in favour of European Construction, etc.

Our twin cities

- Weiden - Germany, 1954
Surrounded by the forest-covered mountains of the Upper Palatinate, the town of Weiden lies in Bavaria, 35 kilometres west of the border with the Czech Republic. www.weiden-oberpfalz.de

- Frameries - Belgium, 1979
Frameries is a town of more than 20,000 inhabitants, situated in Wallonia, in the Belgian province of Hainaut, between Mons and the French border. www.frameries.be ; www.pass.be

- Hounslow – United Kingdom, 1982
Hounslow was created on 1 April 1965, with the reorganisation of the different regions of the capital into 33 'London Boroughs'. www.hounslow.gov.uk/

- Macerata - Italy, 1982
Provincial capital, Macerata (45,000 inhabitants) lies 30 km from Ancona and has become the centre for cultural, administrative and commercial activities for a large part of the Marches region. www.comune.macerata.it

- Dapaong - Togo, 1989
Dapaong, meaning “new market” in the Moba language, lies in the north of Togo (Prefecture of Tone – Savanes Region), 650 km from the capital, Lomé, and 35 km from the border with Burkina-Faso.

- Etchmiadzine - Armenia, 1989
Lying 20 km east of Erevan, Etchmiadzine (Vagarshapat) has approximately 60,000 inhabitants. A major site of the Armenian apostolic religion, Etchmiadzine is home to the Catholicos.

- Pozuelo de Alarcòn - Spain, 1990
A residential town, lying in the western outskirts of Madrid, today Pozuelo de Alarcòn has more than 66,000 inhabitants. www.ayto-pozuelo.es

- Nahariya - Israel, 1994
A seaside resort in Galilee, near the Lebanese border, Nahariya has approximately 30,000 inhabitants. The town was founded in 1934 by German immigrants. www.nahariya.muni.il

- Beijing / Chongwen District - China, 1997/1998
Chongwen is one of the four central districts of Beijing (southeast of Tian-Anmen Square). It has approximately 450,000 inhabitants and is home to some of the most beautiful monuments in the city. www.invest.cwi.gov.cn

- Seoul / Guro District – South Korea, 2005
Lying southwest of Seoul, Guro District enjoys a preferential location in the transport system of the South- Korean capital. Today, it is home to numerous companies and industries working in the Information and Communication Technologies sector. http://guro.seoul.go.kr

Partner towns

- Leshan - China, 2003
The town of Leshan lies in the southwest of China, approximately 100 km south of Chengdu, the capital of the province of Sichuan. With almost 3.5 million inhabitants, it is home to some outstanding cultural sites. www.leshan.gov.cn

- Mitaka – Japan (first contacts in 2005)
Mitaka lies at the gateway to Tokyo and is home to many high-tech companies. The town was awarded one of the “Top 7 Intelligent Community” prizes in 2005 and is considered to be a pioneer in the field of e-administration. www.city.mitaka.tokyo.jp