Nazarian Seeks to Revive Sister City Relationships

While vacationing with family in France, Beverly Hills Vice Mayor Sharona Nazarian took it upon herself to meet with the Vice Mayor of Cannes and discuss how the two cities can revive their longstanding sister city relationship.

Cannes became a sister city with Beverly Hills in 1986, but programming between the two cities has stalled in recent years. The idea for renewing relations was sparked at Beverly Hills’ recent Bastille Day celebration and staff from the French Consulate subsequently put Nazarian in touch with Cannes Vice Mayor Thomas de Pariente.

“As the former co-president of our Beverly Hills Sister City Association, I have seen firsthand the benefits these relationships can bring,” Nazarian told the Courier. “Unfortunately, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, our BH Sister City Association became dormant. Now, many are eager to revitalize it.”

The city of Beverly Hills is a member of Sister Cities International, Inc., a nonprofit, citizen diplomacy network that creates and strengthens partnerships between U.S. and international communities to increase global cooperation at the local level. Beverly Hills’ other sister cities are Herzliya, Israel, Acapulco, Mexico and Pudong, China.

Former Mayor Charlotte Spadar led the charge to establish a relationship with Cannes based on cultural similarities of being a homeplace for films, festivals, tourism, celebrities and glamour. 

For many years there were successful exchange programs between the cities as both are mutually popular tourist destinations. Many Beverly Hills residents who work in film make the pilgrimage to Cannes annually for its world-renowned International Film Festival.

Nazarian met de Pariente at Cannes City Hall and discussed a range of exciting ideas for strengthening the connection such as launching student study exchange programs or joint cultural festivals. 

“One key topic was the vast number of conferences that Cannes hosts annually,” said Nazarian. “We explored ways our Chamber of Commerce and Conference and Visitors Bureau could partner with or emulate Cannes’ successful conference model.”

The two vice mayors also shared their city’s strategies for navigating financial challenges post-pandemic, improving infrastructure and bolstering security.

“Given that Beverly Hills is facing a potential budget deficit of over $10 million, it’s crucial to learn from other municipalities’ successful approaches,” said Nazarian. “Sharing insights and best practices can help us address these challenges more effectively.”

In addition to strengthening ties with Cannes, Nazarian said she is also interested in rekindling relations with sister city Herzliya. This relationship was formally signed on May 14, 2019, in celebration of Israel’s 70th anniversary.

Nazarian recalls fondly a joint film festival several years ago when students from Beverly Hills, Cannes and Herzliya all submitted short movies to be judged by notable figures like Dean Zanuk.

“Renewing our sister city relationships with Cannes and Herzliya will open up new opportunities for tourism, business partnerships and educational exchanges, ultimately enhancing cultural awareness and economic growth in our community,” said Nazarian. These are communities that are very similar to ours, but simultaneously communities that have so much culture to share with us.

Programming between sister cities is led by community members as opposed to city councilmembers. Once Nazarian returns to Beverly Hills, she plans to gauge community interest in revitalizing ties.

“I am happy to do the initial leg work and set the foundation,” she said, “but ultimately, these organizations are volunteer led and would need the support of active and dedicated community members.”