Bethlehem has a new Sister City. At a Town Hall ceremony in March, Mayor John Callahan and Corfu, Greece, Mayor Ioannis Trepeklis signed the Sister City agreement before a large contingent of Bethlehem's Greek-American population and to the sounds of children's voices performing traditional Greek music and an exhibition of Greek dance.

Callahan credited a group of Bethlehem's Greek-American community leaders for taking the initiative to effect the Sister City relationship. "One of the strongest cultures in the Lehigh Valley is the Greek community," Callahan said. It was noted that the U.S. Ambassador to Greece, Daniel Smith, has already endorsed the Sister City agreement between Bethlehem and Corfu.

Trepeklis spent a few moments describing the idyllic setting of Corfu in the Aegean Sea pointing out the geographic beauty that includes beaches, blue water, olive trees and a wonderful landscape. He cited the common traits that Bethlehem and Corfu share, including being historic cities, hubs of music and the arts, vacation destinations and their governmental structures. "We can celebrate the tremendous contribution of the Greek community," said Trepeklis.

The children of the St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Cathedral performed the National Anthems of the United States and Greece. The students of St. Nicholas Academy sang a musical selection and presented gifts to the Mayors. The St. Nicholas Greek Dance Troupe presented several traditional Greek dances.

Corfu is the capital city of the Ionian Islands with approximately 40,000 inhabitants and is located on the Island of Corfu in the Aegean Sea. It was entered on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2007. It has a casino and the James Bond movie "For Your Eyes Only" was filmed there. It is similar to Bethlehem in that it is a modern city steeped in history. It attracts 1.5 million tourists each summer including about 500,000 from cruise ships, many of them Americans. It is known for its culture, architecture and hospitality.

Bethlehem Mayor John Callahan traveled to Corfu from June 17 to 23 to visit and finalize the execution of the Sister City documents on Corfu City soil.