Bangkok launches urban management exhibition with sister city Astana

The exhibition is being held until Sunday (February 12) at Bangkok City Library in Phra Nakhon district.

The opening ceremony on Tuesday was presided over by Bangkok deputy governor Tavida Kamolvej, deputy mayor of Astana Nurlan Nurkenov, and Kazakh ambassador to Thailand Arman Issetov. Astana’s deputy mayor Yerlan Bekmurzayev attended via video link.

Tavida said that Bangkok’s leg of the exhibition showcases Astana’s urban management with a focus on culture, tourism, and smart-city aspects of the Kazakh capital to promote mutual learning and exchange of experiences between the two sister cities.

Tavida underlined Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt’s policy to make the Thai capital a truly sustainable and liveable city.

“This is not an easy mission as Bangkok is full of diversity and has its own problems, both small and large,” she said.

“We hope that the exhibitions will help us learn from Astana’s urban management, especially its smart city and smart traffic system aspects, which are among the challenges facing Bangkok.”

“We also hope the exhibitions will allow the two cities to forge closer relations and grow together sustainably,” she added.

Bekmurzayev said trade volume between the two cities before Covid-19 stood at US$260 million (8.54 billion baht) while over 50,000 tourists travelled between Bangkok and Astana each year. He hoped the two cities could continue their relationship and learn more about each other’s cultures now the pandemic has subsided.

Once the exhibition in Bangkok concludes, the spotlight will be on Thailand’s capital at the subsequent exhibition held at the Kazakhstan National Library in Astana.

Attendees can also learn about each capital’s history, geography, tourist attractions, transportation routes, relationship with sister cities, and best practices in urban management.

Relations between Bangkok and Astana date back to June 11, 2004 when representatives of both cities signed a bilateral cooperation agreement on the economy, culture, tourism, urban planning and management, environment, youth activities and agriculture.

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