A ribbon cutting ceremony will take place Wednesday at 11:30 a.m. to mark the instillation of a vertical banner display, which symbolizes the global partnership with Urbana and its Sister Cities program partners.

The Sister Cities Program‘s partners with include Haizhu District of Guangzhou; People’s Republic of China; Thionville, France; and Zomba, Malawi, according to a City of Urbana press release.

According to its website, the goal of the Sister Cities Program is to develop relationships with other countries, whether that be through economic, cultural or other sorts of developments through the partnering cities.

“The Sister Cities International program, initiated by President Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1956, supports the mission ‘to promote peace through mutual respect, understanding, and cooperation — one individual, one community at a time,'” according to the press release.

For the ribbon cutting ceremony, which will take place at Willard Airport, Sister Cities is partnering with the Urbana Business Association as well as Willard Airport Executive Director’s Office.

“Willard Airport provides access to the world, partnering with the Sister Cities Program is a great way to highlight our global reach. The display will be located within the main terminal, which is visited by more than 200,000 travelers each year,” said Tim Bannon, executive director of Willard Airport, in the press release.

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