25 June 2004

Estonian mayor arrives in county for week of visits

The Baltimore Sun
Article by Jessie Parker

The newly elected mayor of Paide, Estonia, Westminster's sister-city, arrived in Carroll County last night for a week of diplomatic visits.

Mayor Indrek Kivimae will tour Westminster recreational facilities and participate in Fourth of July events, but he is here primarily to attend a Maryland Municipal League workshop focusing on the success of the city-to-city partnership.

Kivimae will join Thomas B. Beyard, Westminster's planning and public works director, on a panel discussing the value of sister cities. The workshop, to be held in Ocean City on Wednesday, will use the Westminster-Paide relationship as a case study of an ongoing partner-city program.

Westminster Mayor Kevin Dayhoff will greet Kivimae at City Hall at 10 a.m. today. The Maryland National Guard is sponsoring Kivimae's trip through the Minuteman Fellow Program, which funds events to strengthen relations between the U.S. and other countries.

Paide was picked as Westminster's sister city in 2002 because of the similarities between them, Beyard said. Both cities are located near a major seaport, are committed to developing recreation and youth programs, have similar business interests and are relatively close in size.

Nine other Maryland cities have partner arrangements in Estonia, through what was originally a military program established by the Maryland National Guard in 1993. The program branched out into medicine, health and government exchanges, Beyard said. Last year, Bosnia-Herzegovina was added as a second partner-country for Maryland.

One of the reasons the Westminster-Paide relationship is successful is because of community support and the aid of local businesses, Beyard said.

"It was more than just the governments," Beyard said. "I think that's one of the lessons learned."

Beyard attributed the program's success to the amount of face-to-face contact between the cities. Performers, government officials, business representatives and students have traveled between the two cities in an arrangement that benefits both.

"The foundation for economic development starts with tourism, because tourism builds familiarity," Beyard said.

Kivimae, formerly the head of a Paide health center, was elected mayor two months ago. Tonis Koiv, who was mayor when the city partner program was initiated, left office after 7 1/2 years to enter the private sector.

Kivimae is visiting Westminster for the first time, and will return to Estonia July 5.