Alexandria Mayor Alyia Gaskins has proposed that the city establish a friendship city agreement with Osijek, Croatia. The move follows the city's successful hosting of the Croatian national football team during its stay for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The team used Alexandria as its base, and a welcome event at Episcopal High School in June drew a crowd of hundreds. After the tournament, the Croatian Embassy approached the city about continuing the partnership. "Sports, I think, as we saw this summer, have played a powerful role in uniting our community," Mayor Gaskins said. The proposed friendship city agreement would be time-limited, aiming to build on connections that could open opportunities in tourism and athletics.
Alexandria already has established sister city relationships with Dundee in Scotland, Helsingborg in Sweden, Gyumri in Armenia, and Caen in France. The Osijek proposal will return to the City Council for consideration on October 13. "It also gives us an opportunity to build on some other opportunities," Gaskins added.
This diplomatic initiative comes as the national team prepares for its next match. The team's recent form shows three wins in their last five outings, with the last result a 2-1 defeat to Portugal in early July. The current standings are always available for the latest group table.
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