In an official letter dated May 11, 2017, Rustavi City Mayor David Jikia congratulated Isabela Province Governor Faustino Dy, on the occasion of the latter’s ceremonial signing of the sister-province relationship between Isabela and Kvemo Kartli. This is the first sister-province relationship of Georgia with the Philippines and Asia and the first sister-province of the Philippines with Europe.

In his letter, Mayor Jikia made special mention of the strong ties that link Kvemo Kartli and Isabela, specifically the three sister-cities that the provinces share: Rustavi, Santiago, and Cauayan. These are the first sister-cities between Georgia and the Philippines and Georgia and Asia and have resulted in significant local government exchanges, including reciprocal visits by Georgian and Philippine local government delegations in October 2015 and September 2016.

In his letter to Governor Dy, Mayor Jikia took the opportunity to also thank Honorary Georgian Consul Thelmo Cunanan for building the ties between Kvemo Kartli and Isabela and Georgia and the Philippines. I would like to also take this opportunity to thank Honorary Consul Thelmo Cunanan…for working hard to establish our special relationship and serving as the bridge between our two peoples”, said Mayor Jikia. Consul Cunanan was the pioneer in Philippines – Georgia socio-cultural and economic relations and was responsible for, among others, the first sister-local government units between the two countries.