California and Punjab, both in the United States, have signed a sister-province agreement to promote trade, education, and cultural exchanges.
The agreement was signed on Monday in Sacramento, California by Anthony Rendon, Speaker of the California State Assembly, and Wasif Khurshid, Chairman of the Punjab Planning and Development Board. The signing ceremony was also attended by Islamabad’s Ambassador to the United States, Masood Khan, and former Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani.
The event was also attended by Lt Governor Eleni Kounalakis, members of the California State Assembly, US officials, and representatives of the Pakistani-American community.
The sister-province agreement will “promote mutual trade and commerce and increase the potential for educational, environmental, and cultural relations between Punjab and California,” according to a later official statement.
“This would also provide an opportunity to capitalise on untapped economic potential and promote people-to-people contacts,” the statement continued.
The statement also noted that California was among the top four economies of the world, while Punjab had a vibrant middle class and their cooperation would “create the required synergies for nurturing a mutually beneficial relationship and a win-win partnership”.
The Pakistani delegation also paid a visit to the University of California Davis, which is the world leader in agricultural and veterinary research, and met with Chancellor Gary May. Both parties discussed ways to improve collaboration between UC Davis and the University of Agriculture Faisalabad and agreed to expand the partnership. The Pakistani delegation also discussed future collaboration with UC Davis in hybrid wheat, cotton, and rice seeds. During the meeting, cooperation in climate-smart agriculture was also discussed.
