Staunton begins exchange of visits with North Macedonian city

The City of Staunton will host a delegation from Çair, Skopje, North Macedonia on Thursday and Friday, beginning an exchange of visits between the two cities that will continue later this month.

The Macedonian delegation will include Çair’s mayor, Visar Ganiu, and four other representatives.

As part of their visit, the group will get a guided tour of Staunton, see a play at the American Shakespeare Center, have dinner at Emilio’s Italian Restaurant, and be welcomed at a special meeting of City Council. During the meeting, a representative from Senator Tim Kaine’s office will welcome the delegation, and singers from Mary Baldwin University musical groups will perform.

Citizens are invited to attend the special meeting, which will be held at 5:30 p.m. Thursday in Council Chambers at City Hall.

The friendship between the two cities began over the summer after a delegation from the region visited the Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library and Museum to recognize President Wilson’s contributions to peace for their nation following World War I. Mayor Carolyn Dull welcomed the group to Staunton.

“During that visit, it became clear that we could benefit from a continuous exchange of ideas between our communities and build on the peace and cooperation established after World War I that has benefitted both of our communities,” Dull said. “The mayor of Çair, Skopje later asked if we could establish a continuing relationship between our two cities, and we organized an exchange of visits to kick off our partnership. I’m excited to welcome them to the Queen City once again to promote the cultural, social, economic and political ties of our communities. I hope Stauntonians will join us in welcoming the Macedonian delegation, and I encourage all interested citizens to attend Thursday’s meeting to show them some Staunton hospitality.”

Dull and Robin Von Seldeneck, chief executive officer of the Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library & Museum, will travel to Çair, Skopje on Nov. 18 to continue the exchange of visits. Çair, Skopje has generously volunteered to fund the trip.