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Mayor Richard Daley, son of the original Mayor Richard Daley, was Chicago Mayor from April 24, 1989 – May 16, 2011, i.e. when both Moscow and Kiev became sister cities of Chicago: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_M._Daley

Former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel (May 16, 2011 – May 20, 2019) is now US Ambassador to Japan. His brother is the one who said that people should die by age 75, because they aren’t doing “meaningful work”. Russian life expectancy is 73. Rahm Emanuel was an important official in both the Clinton and Obama administrations, and previously was in the US House, as well. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rahm_Emanuel https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mayor_of_Moscow https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mayor_of_Kyiv

“FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 14, 2012
Mayor’s Press Office
CHICAGO EXPANDS BUSINESS AND CULTURAL RELATIONSHIPS IN RUSSIA

Joint Delegation From World Business Chicago and Chicago Sister Cities International Travels to Moscow to Strengthen International Business Development Efforts and Cultural Ties

A delegation representing World Business Chicago (WBC) and Chicago Sister Cities International (CSCI) is traveling to Moscow April 14-19 to establish relationships with Russian companies and spur new business development opportunities, in conjunction with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s (CSO) performance at the Moscow Conservatory April 18-19.

“Promoting Chicago outside the United States is a key focus of my administration,” said Mayor Emanuel. “This effort and others like it will show everyone else what we already know – that Chicago is the most American of American cities and a jewel for the world to enjoy.”

The delegation’s partnership with the CSO for this trip marks the first time that WBC has partnered with a cultural institution to explore international business opportunities.

Building upon the increased cultural awareness of Chicago that the CSO’s performances will facilitate, WBC and CSCI will promote Chicago as a desirable location for Russian businesses and strengthen Chicago’s sister city ties with Moscow. The group will discuss Chicago’s business advantages with area companies, in addition to promoting the Moscow Sister City Committee’s upcoming Green Building Business Forum that will take place June 13-14 in Chicago.

Delegation members include: Samuel C. Scott III, chairman, Chicago Sister Cities International and board member, World Business Chicago; Leroy R. Allala, executive director, Chicago Sister Cities International; Dennis Vicchiarelli, managing director, World Business Chicago; Tom Bartkoski, director of international business development, World Business Chicago; Aleksandra Efimova, president, Aleksandra Enterprises, Inc. and chair, Moscow Committee of Chicago Sister Cities International; and Arthur George, partner, Baker & McKenzie and business co-chair, Moscow Committee of Chicago Sister Cities International.

The joint delegation is the result of the formal collaboration between WBC and CSCI announced earlier this year by Mayor Emanuel, as part of a new focus for World Business Chicago. The trip is an example of how this new partnership advances each organization’s mission, expanding Chicago’s global footprint, while facilitating business connections.

“We are pleased to have the opportunity to work together to promote Chicago as a global business hub and establish new relationships with Moscow businesses, while deepening our cultural ties and relationship with our sister city,” said Scott. “This business mission is a great example of the valuable role each of our organizations play in fostering new international business and cultural opportunities for the City of Chicago.”

While in Moscow, the delegation plans to meet with companies and business organizations, including IBS Group, the Russian Green Building Council, Delovaya Russia, the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs, OPORA Russia and the Moscow AmCham (American Chamber of Commerce).

In addition to the meetings, the delegation will host a dinner and presentation on Chicago’s business advantages to Moscow business leaders, including 50 green building companies, at the residence of the U.S. Minister Counselor for Commercial Affairs, John McCaslin. Guests will then join the delegation to attend the Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s performance at the Moscow Conservatory that evening.

Approximately 50 Chicago-area companies have a presence in Russia, and there are a number of Russian steel companies with operations in Chicagoland. The Chicago Customs District reported $273 million in goods exported to Russia in 2011, primarily in machinery/computers, medical/instruments, and electronics (a 144.3% increase in 2010-11). Chicago imported $99 million in goods from Russia in 2011, primarily in iron and steel, rubber, and machinery/computers (a 37.6% increase in 2010-11). Total trade between Chicago and Russia accounted for $373 million last year.

Chicago has shared a Sister City relationship with Moscow since 1997. The Moscow Committee of CSCI has been at the forefront of cultural, educational and business exchanges between Chicago and Moscow.
~ ~ ~
About World Business Chicago World Business Chicago (WBC) is the city’s public-private economic development office, coordinating business retention, attraction and expansion efforts in order to spur and accelerate economic growth. Chaired by Mayor Rahm Emanuel, WBC strives to raise Chicago’s position as a premier global business destination. For more information, visit WorldBusinessChicago.com.

About Chicago Sister Cities International Chicago Sister Cities International (CSCI) provides leadership to develop, manage, and coordinate comprehensive programs and projects with Chicago’s 28 sister cities. Under the leadership of Chairman Samuel Scott III and Honorary Chairman, Mayor Rahm Emanuel, CSCI is committed to promoting Chicago as a global city, developing international partnerships and networks, and sharing best practices on a city-to-city basis. For more information, visit ChicagoSisterCities.com.“ https://www.chicago.gov/dam/city/depts/mayor/Press%20Room/Press%20Releases/2012/April/4.14.12Russia.pdf

Did their Sister Cities of Warsaw and Kiev have to suggest this?
“News Item
March 1, 2022
by Andrew Hayes
Statement re Chicago Sister Cities Moscow Relationship
Dated: Tuesday, March 1, 2022
STATEMENT FROM MAYOR LORI E. LIGHTFOOT 
“In light of recent events and upon reflection over these last few days, I believe that Chicago needs to go further in its definitive actions against Russia. That is why yesterday, I directed World Business Chicago to suspend Chicago’s sister city relationship with Moscow. While this is not a decision I enter into lightly, we must send an unambiguous message: we strongly condemn all actions by the Putin regime. This suspension will be upheld until the end of hostilities against Ukraine and the Putin regime is held accountable for its crimes. We must continue to support freedom-loving people everywhere and ordinary Russians in their desire to be free.”

STATEMENT FROM MICHAEL FASSNACHT, PRESIDENT AND CEO, WORLD BUSINESS CHICAGO 
“Earlier today, World Business Chicago (WBC) sent a letter to the Moscow Committee of Chicago Sister Cities International informing them of our decision to suspend our relationship with Moscow as one of Chicago’s sister cities. The program started in 1960 under Mayor Richard J. Daley’s administration to promote peace, foster people-to-people connections, and generate mutual respect among people of different nations. WBC takes pride in Chicago’s relationships with its 29 sister cities across the globe. We know that many Russians in Chicago and around the world are not supportive of Putin’s egregious actions against Ukraine and the Ukrainian people. This suspension is a strong signal of our support of the Ukrainian people in this time of unimaginable pain and suffering.” https://web.archive.org/web/20220301211500/http://worldbusinesschicago.com/statement-re-chicago-sister-cities-moscow-relationship/

The first Chicago sister city was Warsaw Poland in 1960, under the first Mayor Daley. The second sister city was Osaka (1973), the third was Milan, (1973), the fourth was Casablanca (1982); Shanghai and Shenyang China (1985); Gothenburg Sweden (1987); Accra Ghana (1989).

By the time Mayor Daley’s son became Mayor in 1989, Chicago had eight sister cities. In the period of 1989/90 to 2001, fourteen new sister cities were added to make 22 sister cities. According to the Chicago Tribune (31-07-2001), “the program’s explosive growth also seems to betoken an urban area so motivated by the lure of greenbacks that home-town novelist Nelson Algren once christened it the “City on the Make.” … But the watershed year was 1990…. In February of that year, Daley placed the program under the administration of the city’s Department of Cultural Affairs, headed then and now by Lois Weisberg. He also established a board of directors that meets quarterly in the Cultural Center and began aggressively seeking financial exchanges in what had up to then been primarily a cultural program. In short order, Prague became the ninth city to come aboard, followed by Toronto; Mexico City; Kyiv, Ukraine; Vilnius, Lithuania; Birmingham, England; Petach Tikva, Israel; Hamburg, Germany; Paris; Galway, Ireland; Durban, South Africa; Athens; Moscow; and Lucerne, Switzerland — all in one decade….“ By 2001 (twenty-one years ago), the Chicago Sister Cities program had “a director and nine full-time and two part-time staff members”, and it disbursed “well over $1 million in funds raised mostly from local corporations and individuals”. That year, this cost taxpayers $399,000: $114,000 came from Chicago’s Cultural Affairs budget while $255,000 was from hotel/motel tax receipts. See: “Chicago has assembled a sorority of sister cities” By Charles Leroux and Tribune staff reporter Chicago Tribune Jul 31, 2001 at 12:00 am https://web.archive.org/web/20201029085345/https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-2001-07-31-0107310017-story.html

“Sister Cities
Chicago has 28 Sister Cities around the world. Like Chicago, many of them are or were the second most populous city or second most influential city of their country, or they are the main city of a country that has had large amounts of immigrants settle in Chicago. Paris is a Partner City, due to the one sister city policy of its respective French commune.

To celebrate the sister cities, Chicago hosts a yearly festival in Daley Plaza, which features cultural acts and food tastings from the other cities. In addition, the Chicago Sister Cities program hosts a number of delegation and formal exchanges. In some cases, these exchanges have led to further informal collaborations, such as the academic relationship between the Buehler Center on Aging, Health & Society at the Feinberg School of Medicine of Northwestern University and the Institute of Gerontology of Ukraine (originally of the Soviet Union), that was originally established as part of the Chicago-Kiev sister cities program.

Sister Cities
* Warsaw (Poland) 1960
* Milan (Italy) 1973
* Osaka (Japan) 1973
* Casablanca (Morocco) 1982
* Shanghai (China) 1985
* Shenyang (China) 1985
* Gothenburg (Sweden) 1987
* Accra (Ghana) 1989
* Prague (Czech Republic) 1990
* Kyiv (Ukraine) 1991
* Mexico City (Mexico) 1991
* Toronto (Canada) 1991
* Birmingham (United Kingdom) 1993
* Vilnius (Lithuania) 1993
* Hamburg (Germany) 1994
* Petah Tikva (Israel) 1994
* Athens (Greece) 1997
* Durban (South Africa) 1997
* Galway (Ireland) 1997
* Moscow (Russia) 1997
* Lucerne (Switzerland) 1998
* Delhi (India) 2001
* Amman (Jordan) 2004
* São Paulo (Brazil) 2004
* Belgrade (Serbia) 2005
* Lahore (Pakistan) 2007
* Busan (South Korea) 2007
* Bogotá (Colombia) 2009
Partner City
* Paris (France) 1996 Source Wikipedia Creative Commons via: https://www.liquisearch.com/chicago/sister_cities