L.A. Gets Another Sister City--Leningrad

The mayors of Los Angeles and Leningrad--the second-largest cities in the United States and the Soviet Union--signed an agreement Monday to encourage business ventures and cultural exchanges between the two cities.

Before signing the “sister city” agreement at a City Hall ceremony, Mayor Tom Bradley and Leningrad Mayor Anatoly Sobchak spoke about the possibilities of creating “strong bonds of friendship” and cultural exchanges between the two cities.

Sobchak, who recently resigned from the Communist Party, also said a recently established free economic zone in his city would make it easier for Los Angeles entrepreneurs to invest in his country. Harold Willens, a local businessman who plans to explore business possibilities in Leningrad next month, agreed that the city’s free trade zone will be a key enticement.

Leningrad joins Los Angeles’ 16 other sister cities, and it is the first Soviet city in the group.