Established: April 1976, under Mayor Fred Hofheinz
President: Irada Akhoundova
Contact Information: iakhoundova@houstonbaku.com; Tel: (281) 757-5449
Website: http://www.houstonbaku.com
About the Relationship:
The connection between Houston, Texas and Baku, Azerbaijan dates back to the 1970’s when Mayor Louis Welch of Houston, Texas took the first steps in bonding these two world oil capitals despite the difficult political climate between the US and the former Soviet Union during the period of the Cold War. Eventually, after the required formalities had been completed, the Houston-Baku Sister City Association was officially established in April 1976 under Mayor Fred Hofheinz. More stories and pictures about those early days of HBSCA can be found in the article Sister Cities: Baku and Houston (Published in Azerbaijan International Magazine).
HBSCA’s activity program includes:
Showcasing the culture, folklore and arts of Azerbaijan and Baku through a variety of programs including:
- The participation in public cultural festivals in Houston such as I-Fest and Turkic Fest;
- The organization of public events to celebrate Azerbaijani public holidays such as Novruz Bayram, Iftar, Azerbaijan Independence Day, etc.
- The organization of art shows and music programs
- Facilitation of Azerbaijan participation in international film festivals in Houston
Establishing connections between citizens of Houston and Baku through:
- Welcoming visitors and delegations from Azerbaijan and facilitating connections for these missions in the Houston Metropolitan area
- Hosting events to reunite Houstonians who have lived and worked in Azerbaijan’s oil industry
- Hosting delegations from Houston to Azerbaijan
- Hosting a Facebook page to facilitate continuous information exchange between citizens of Houston and Baku about a wide variety of topics
- Networking in the Houston and Baku to build and maintain relationships with the various communities in support of HBSCA programs/efforts.
Supporting international education through
- Participation in “Learn and Lunch at the Houston City Hall”
- International student events at Universities (UofH, UT), World Affairs Council etc.
- Facilitation of educational exchange program between the University of Houston and the Economic University of Azerbaijan in Baku
- Presentation of Azerbaijan general country information at middle schools
- Sponsorship of team participation in the WorldQuest International Trivia game organized by the World Affairs Council
Other programs:
- Participation in the annual International Soccer Tournament sponsored by Sister Cities of Houston;
- Participation in the Holidays around the World program organized by the Houston International Protocol office and Visitors Centre in support of the Child Advocates program
To receive more information or to become a member, please visit our website http://www.houstonbaku.com.
Become a fan of us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Houston-Baku-Sister-City-Association/142045434235?ref=ts
Find out more about Baku, Azerbaijan