International Partners
View Larger Image.As a harbour port, international links have always played an important role in the city's rich make up and they continue to do so.
Initially developed through trade and traditional industries such as fishing, in more recent years, Aberdeen’s emergence as a key player in the global energy industry has seen a burgeoning of international links based on common economic interests.
Economic Links
Memoranda of Understanding (MOU's) are a strategic alliance between two cities designed to foster business development and trade opportunities – primarily in the energy industry and, in the case of the Faroe Islands, the fishing industry. Aberdeen have signed agreements with:
World Energy Cities Partnership
Aberdeen is a founding member of the World Energy Cities Partnership which is designed to share petroleum industry knowledge and economic and infrastructure development ideas between the member cities.
Twinning
Culture, commerce, science, tourism, education and sport all feature in Aberdeen’s links with its five twin cities
- Regensburg, Germany
- Clermont-Ferrand, France
- Bulawayo, Zimbabwe
- Stavanger, Norway
- Gomel, Belarus
While developing a greater understanding of the culture of other countries is an important part of Aberdeen’s twinning programme, other types of links are being encouraged and developed. This is particularly true with Gomel which was badly affected by the Chernobyl disaster. The disaster has resulted in a very special relationship between the two cities and many of the exchanges and projects have dealt directly with medical matters. But the links have gone far beyond that and the work between the two has progressed to deal jointly with common concerns such as health and social issues.