EAST PROVIDENCE, R.I. – East Providence Mayor Bob DaSilva recently traveled to Ponta Delgada, São Miguel, Azores, for this year's Sister Cities Summit, attending a series of Fundação Luso-Americana conferences.
The main objective of participating in Sister Cities International is to foster international cooperation and understanding through cultural, educational and economic exchanges. Conferences throughout the short trip included topics such as economy, education, science, technology, society, culture, and artificial intelligence.
The City of East Providence first signed on as a Sister City with Ribeira Grande in 1986, reaffirming that relationship in 2019 and signed on as a sister city to Vila Franca in October of 2024.
This year's program further offered an opportunity for United States delegates to form an open line of communication with Azorean municipalities, Portuguese leaders including the President of Portugal, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, and the Azores President José Manuel Bolieiro. During Mayor DaSilva’s visit with President Bolieiro, the two discussed recent innovations from REGENT Craft located in North Kingstown and its sea gliders, and how these crafts could help with inter-island transport throughout the Archipelago.
While visiting the Azores, Mayor DaSilva had the opportunity to visit two of East Providence’s Sister Cities, Ribeira Grande and Vila Franca do Campo. While visiting Vila Franco do Campo Mayor DaSilva signed the sister city protocols. Also during those visits, he had the opportunity to meet the President of Bombeiros Voluntários de Vila Franca do Campo (paid and volunteer fire and emergency medical service for the village), Rui Carvalho e Melo. That visit elicited conversations on how the City of East Providence Fire Department can share technology and training methods with members of the Vila Franca Fire Department.
