Fermanagh and Omagh District Council are one step closer to formalising a “sister relationship” with the city of Huangshi in China.

The news comes as the long-standing twinning with German city, Bielefeld, continues to remain somewhat uncertain.

Council Chairman, Howard Thornton, along with an officer of the Council are set to make the trip to China at a cost of around £2000 to the rate payer.

The matter was discussed at a meeting of Fermanagh and Omagh District Council with Director of Regeneration and Planning Allison McCullagh telling the meeting:

“The Northern Ireland Bureau in China had indicated an interest on behalf of Huangshi to formerly developing a sister relationship with the council area.”

The Council have already been invited to participate in the Northern Ireland delegation visit to the 4th UK-China Group Regional Leaders Summit to be held from October 15 -17 in Dalian, Liaoning Province. Councillors were asked to vote on whether or not the invitation should be accepted and in addition that a visit to Huangshi be made at end of this trip.

Ms McCullagh explained to Councillors that the Council been invited to the above summit and as part of that the Huangshi Regional Government had extended an invitation for the Council to visit their city and to “formerly commence the relationship in terms of a signing of a city sister deal”.

There was little discussion among Councillors about the prospect of the link up. The trip to participate at the UK-China Group Regional Leaders Summit, to be followed by a visit to Huangshi was proposed by Sinn Fein’s Marty McColgan and seconded by Alex Baird, UUP.

At a full Council meeting, earlier this year, there was a lively discussion surrounding the future of the Council’s long-standing twinning with Bielefeld. Bielefeld had invited members of the Council to a 60th anniversary of the twinning between the two regions, due to take place next month.

At that meeting there was conflicting opinion on whether it made sense to continue with the twinning arrangement. That twinning arrangement was between the old Fermanagh District Council and Bielefeld. With the formation of the new Fermanagh and Omagh District Council the continuation of the twinning has been up for debate.

It is understood that the 60th anniversary due to take place in Bielefeld has been cancelled but it is unclear whether members of the Fermanagh and Omagh District Council had been due to travel to the celebrations.

It was also suggested earlier in the year that another twinning arrangement with Waterford, in the Republic of Ireland, be established.