Omaha has entered into a Sister City relationship with a region along the Normandy Coast of France that includes the historic Omaha Beach.

Omaha Mayor Jean Stothert and the Omaha Sister Cities Association announced the new relationship with Isigny-Omaha Intercom, a region of 59 townships in northern France, on the 75th anniversary of the D-Day invasion in the Second World War.

A delegation of five Normandy mayors visited Omaha in early March, and an Omaha delegation visited Normandy in April. The rela­tionship was announced in Omaha on June 6, and a formal agreement will be signed in October in France.

“Omaha’s Sister City Association brings the world to Omaha,” Stothert said in a release. “These relationships are important to our growth as a partner in international trade and education.”

Omaha’s six other sister cities are Braunschweig, Germany; Shizuoka, Japan; Siauliai, Luthuania; Naas, Ireland; Xalapa, Mexico; and Yantai, China.

Stothert said Omaha Beach is a part of our country’s past and will always be remembered.

“History connects us, and the future will provide many opportu­nities for cultural, education, busi­ness and, most importantly, the per­sonal relationships, which are fun­damental to all Sister Cities,” said Sothert, who is the honorary chair of the association.

Andy Schilling, vice presi­dent of the Omaha Sister Cities Association and senior director of international business development at the Greater Omaha Chamber, said Omaha made the initial contact with its counterparts in France, but there was a mutual interest in the relationship.

“The iconic connection between Omaha, Nebraska, and Omaha Beach continues and resonates on a deeply personal and emotional lev­el,” Schilling said in a release. “The memory, the emotion and the rever­ence for the heroism of our service­men at D-Day are still prominent in their gratitude and appreciation for their sacrifice.”

For more information, visit oma­hasistercities.com.