On Thursday, June 2, 2022, Kent Mayor Dana Ralph, City Council President Bill Boyce, along with Lutsk City Mayor Ihor Polishchuk and Lutsk Councilmember Roman Kravchuk signed a memorandum of agreement declaring an Intent to Explore the Establishment of a Sister City Relationship.

Lutsk is a city on the Styr River in northwestern Ukraine.

“Kent’s Sister Cities Program provides opportunities to establish meaningful and lasting global friendships, partnerships, and connections,” the city said on its website. “Youth exchanges and other events deepen our community’s connection to the diverse populations living in our city and our connections around the world.”

The Sister City relationship is intended to:

- Increase citizens’ awareness and understanding of each other’s culture
- Encourage educational opportunities and the exchange of technical methodology
- Contribute to the development of trade and tourism
- Share information regarding best practices in the provision of city services, public safety, economic development, utilities, environmental preservation, technology, and public relations.

The parties involved will take into account friendly relations between Ukraine and the United States of America, and in consideration of the significant Ukrainian population that resides and does business in Kent.

Below are photos from the ceremony, courtesy the City of Kent:

Current Kent sister cities include:

Tamba, Japan. Tamba, Japan is an agricultural community located in the Khogo Prefecture, Hansai region north of Kobe.
Sunnfjord Area, Norway. The Sunnfjord Area is rich in tradition and culture. …
Yangzhou, China. The ancient city of Yangzhou, China was settled over 2,400 years ago.

Previously, Kherson, Ukraine was a sister city, and Kherson Park is named after it.