Delhi's civic bodies sign MoU with Ottawa to boost ties

The three municipal corporations in Delhi have signed an MoU with Canada's capital city Ottawa to boost tourism and facilitate exchange of technical expertise and students between the two sides, among other areas.
The document recognising a mutual desire to enhance and strengthen Ottawa-New Delhi ties was signed by the three Mayors -- Subhash Arya (South Delhi), Ravinder Gupta (North Delhi) and Harshdeep Malhotra (East Delhi ) -- and Mayor of Ottawa Jim Watson at the Canadian Embassy here yesterday, Arya said.
The MoU will also involve the civic bodies of two countries to promote Delhi and Ottawa as tourism destinations.

In the area of municipal administration the two cities will exchange technical information and experiences in areas such as urban planning, environmental protection, public transit and infrastructure that support Smart Cities.
The areas identified for ongoing dialogue and cooperation include trade and investment, education, tourism and municipal administration, Arya said.
The civic bodies have sought approval of the Ministry of Exernal Affairs which is likely to be received soon paving way for starting the work on the MoU, he said.

The civic bodies of Delhi and Ottawa will also endeavour to improve and strengthen linkages among the municipalities in the primary education sector, the MoU said.

It will be achieved through supporting education promotion activities and encouraging local students to visit each other's city to conduct training, exchange and learning programmes, it said.
Additional Commissioner (I) of SDMC and the Department of Economic Development and Innovation, Ottawa city, will ensure regular communication and coordination for implementing the MoU which will be valid for 5 years.
Among other areas, trade and investment between two cities will be promoted by supporting companies looking for businesses particularly in IT, clean technology, urban planning, transportation and infrastructure.