With a population of more than 2.8m people, Surabaya is similar to Liverpool in that it is renowned for its maritime industry and the ‘Letter of Intent’ was signed by the mayors of both cities. Tony McDonough reports

Liverpool city region firms looking to expand overseas have been given a boost after Liverpool signed a new agreement with Surabaya, Indonesia’s second-largest city.

Surabaya’s Mayor Tri Rismaharini signed a ‘Letter of Intent’ with Liverpool Mayor Joe Anderson focused on strengthening bilateral co-operation between the two cities.

With a population of more than 2.8m people, Surabaya is similar to Liverpool in that it is renowned for its maritime industry.

It is one of the busiest ports in Asia and has a major focus on shipbuilding.

The agreement covers five areas of business: Economy; Port and Maritime Management; Smart cities; Capacity Building of Human Resources; Creative industry.

To mark the signing, a delegation from Surabaya led by Mayor Rismaharini came over on a visit organised by Liverpool Vision.

They met with civic officials as well as organisations including Mersey Maritime, FACT, Liverpool Biennial and Tranmere Rovers FC.

Mayor Anderson said: “A Letter of Intent is a big step to develop links between Liverpool and Surabaya, which until now have been limited.

“The Indonesian delegation were very impressed by Liverpool’s maritime history and present, and the growth of tourism in the city over the last decade.

“This visit and signing is a formal expression of our intentions to work together, and I’m sure will be of mutual benefit in the coming years.”