VILA REAL de Santo António (VRSA) in eastern Algarve is to enter into a twinning agreement with La Playa, a city in Cuba. It is hoped that friendly relations will be fostered and maintained between the two regions, and a co-operation programme, in various areas of common interest, will be development.
According to a source from VRSA Câmara, the two councils will work together in areas of education, social, health, tourism, youth and sports issues, as well as exchanging ideas on various other topics of common interest.
In 2005, a committee from VRSA Câmara travelled to La Playa, Cuba, where promises were made to begin the process for the two cities to be twinned. La Playa is known for its thriving fishing industry and boasts various institutes and medical centres dedicated to physical recovery.
In fact, close ties already exist between Vila Real and Cuba: VRSA’s sports complex continues to host training for Cuban athletics teams and more extensive arrangements are due to be made. In addition, the council recently helped support the travelling costs for a disabled local resident to travel to Cuba with their family to receive treatment to improve their mobility.
