Tampico, McAllen join in Friendship City agreement

MCALLEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — City of McAllen officials met with a delegation from the City of Tampico on Thursday to formalize an intergovernmental partnership.

McAllen city leaders welcomed Tampico Mayor Monica Villarreal Anaya and her delegation at McAllen City Hall to sign a Friendship City accord.

Thursday's signing solidified the history of collaboration between the two cities.

According to a news release, a Friendship City Agreement is recognized as the first step toward a Sister City partnership and would allow the development of initiatives benefiting the signing communities.

“Today's signing will strengthen the collaboration with Tampico in different sectors, such as sustainability, trade and commerce, exchange of best practices, and cultural exchanges. This international agreement is a commitment to enhancing our cooperative connections in Tamaulipas,” said McAllen Mayor Javier Villalobos.

McAllen's Friendship City partnership with Tampico is its first.

McAllen has 14 Sister City relationships worldwide and is increasingly engaging internationally to cultivate city-to-city relationships, spur economic growth, promote trade and commerce, foster cultural exchanges, and develop innovative projects with international stakeholders, according to the City of McAllen.