Students visiting from Busselton’s sister city Sugito in Japan were welcomed at a ceremony on Monday evening hosted by mayor Grant Henley.
It is the 20th anniversary of the sister city relationship between the cities which was formally recognised by Japan’s foreign minister Fumio Kishida.
Mr Kishida recognised the Busselton and Sister Cities Association for their work in promoting mutual understanding, goodwill and friendship between the countries.
BASSCA president Pauline Vukelic said to receive such a rare recognition on this milestone capped off what has been an amazing year.
BASSCA was recognised for their student exchange and biennial community cultural exchange programs, which has seen more than 500 students and community members participate in reciprocal visits.
For more than 20 years BASSCA has developed cultural, art and person-to-person exchanges between the cities, involving students, community members, teachers and city officials.