Pokhara and Russian City Explore Sister-City Partnership, Sochi Identified as Potential Partner
Dragon Media Correspondent
Pokhara Metropolitan City and Russian cities and institutions have discussed expanding cooperation at the local level as Nepal and Russia mark the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations.
Anastasia Khokhlova, Counsellor at the Embassy of the Russian Federation in Nepal and Head of the Russian House in Kathmandu, held a courtesy meeting on Friday with Pokhara Metropolitan City Mayor Dhan Raj Acharya to discuss opportunities for cooperation in tourism, culture, education, youth, information technology, local products, investment and urban development.
The meeting was facilitated with support from the Pokhara Chapter of the Nepal–Russia People’s Friendship Society. The discussions placed particular emphasis on extending the seven-decade relationship beyond the central-government level to municipalities, educational institutions, cultural organisations and local communities.
One of the key proposals was the establishment of a sister-city relationship between Pokhara and a Russian city, with Sochi identified as a potential partner.
As both Pokhara and Sochi are internationally recognised tourism destinations, the two cities could explore cooperation in tourism promotion, sports, culture, urban management, environmental issues and people-to-people exchanges.
If formally developed, a sister-city partnership could provide a platform for direct cooperation between the two municipal governments as well as tourism organisations, universities, youth groups, cultural institutions and business communities.
Cultural and literary cooperation also featured prominently in the meeting. The two sides referred to the translation of more than 100 Russian literary works into Nepali and discussed ways to introduce Russian literature and culture to a new generation of readers.
A proposal was also raised to establish a Russian pavilion at the Pokhara Literature Festival, providing a dedicated platform for Russian literature, culture and publishing.
Such an initiative could further familiarise Nepali readers with both classical and contemporary Russian writing while also creating opportunities to introduce Nepali literature to Russian readers, publishers and cultural institutions.
In education and youth cooperation, the discussions covered the potential for student exchanges, contacts between academic institutions, language and cultural programmes, research collaboration and joint youth activities.
Information technology and urban development were also identified as promising areas for future municipal-level engagement. Russian experience in digital services, urban technologies and city management could potentially be relevant to Pokhara as it continues to expand its tourism infrastructure and urban services.
The meeting also addressed opportunities to promote local products and expand investment contacts. Participants emphasised the importance of institutional dialogue that could help connect products from Pokhara and Gandaki Province with the Russian market while encouraging private-sector engagement in tourism and other potential areas.
The meeting between Khokhlova and Acharya reflected a shared view that the 70th anniversary of Nepal–Russia diplomatic relations should serve not only as an occasion to commemorate history but also as an opportunity to build practical partnerships at the local level.
If the proposed Pokhara–Sochi sister-city relationship moves forward formally, it could add a new dimension to Nepal–Russia relations through municipal diplomacy and closer cooperation in tourism, culture, education, youth engagement and people-to-people connectivity.
