São Paulo – Brazilian city Foz do Iguaçu and Jordan’s Petra have officially become sister cities. A memorandum of understanding on this was signed on Wednesday (28) afternoon by Foz mayor Chico Brasileiro and the Jordanian ambassador to Brazil, Maen Masadeh. The ceremony took place in the City Hall of Foz do Iguaçu, Paraná state.
According to information made public by Foz, the process stated back in 2018, when the city hall manifested its interest in establishing fraternal bonds with Petra, which has been recognized as UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the New 7 Wonders of the World.
According to the city, the agreement strengthens cooperation in areas such as culture, local economic development, public services, and public policy. “In 2024, the 65 years of diplomatic relations between Brazil and Jordan are celebrated, and signing this document today means that we (Foz do Iguaçu and Petra) are aligned with the foreign policy,” said Masadeh. “We’re very excited about this partnership. The Brazilian government has targeted its whole policy towards a rapprochement with the Arab world. This is a strategy of Brazil to work and strengthen trade, cultural and friendship ties with the Arabs,” said Chico Brasileiro.
The signing featured Nilton Bobato, secretary of Transparence and Governance; André Aliana, secretary of Tourism; Juca Rodrigues, director-president of Fundação Cultural; and Jihad Abu Ali, director of international relations. The ambassador’s wife, Suhair Mohd Daifallah Bataineh, participated.
Petra and Foz do Iguaçu
Petra is known worldwide for its historic architecture and archeological richness. Most of the city is embellished by a natural landscape of rocky mountains, valleys, and a desert climate with pink and reddish shades that gave it the nickname of Pink City. Foz do Iguaçu is home to one of the 7 Wonders of Nature, the Iguazu Falls and is one of the most important sites for tourism in Brazil.
Translation by Guilherme Miranda
