The Mayor of Dresden is set to take a look at Highfield Road Football Stadium and the proposed site of the new Arena 2000 when he visits Coventry on Thursday 11 February.

On the first of a two day visit Dr Herbert Wagner, who is keen to see how Coventry is transforming run down areas of the city, will meet Bryan Richardson before going out to the fomer gas works site to take a look at the City Council's plans to regenerate the whole of the north of Coventry.

Coventry and Dresden were twinned in 1956 after both suffered mass destruction during the Second World War. Now as well as uniting in peace and reconciliation the two cities are also developing economic links, exchanging experiences and have worked together on a number of European projects.

Councillor Nick Nolan, Chair of Economic Regeneration, who visited Dresden in February 1995 to mark the 50th anniversary of the bombing of the city said,

"Coventry and Dresden set the tone for peace and reconciliation at civilisations' darkest hour. Our future role now must be to set a standard in joint economic co-operation and development links with other European cities. I am looking forward to meeting my old friend Dr Wagner again."

On Friday The German Ambassador, His Excellency Gebhardt Von Moltke will visit Kautex Unipart who make plastic mouldings for the car industry and who are based on Coventry Business Park. With relocation support from Coventry City Council Kautex Unipart, who are a German Japanese joint venture company, moved to the 60,000 sq. ft site in 1997. They have made good use of grant money to train local people for some of the 40 plus jobs and over the next 18 months they intend to take on a further 20 people.

Before returning to Dresden the Ambassador, Mayor and the Rev Ulrike Birkner Kettenacker will join the Lord Mayor of Coventry Councillor Maggie Rosher and the Chairman of the Dresden Trust in a special service at the Cathedral on Friday 12 February. The service will focus on the Cross and Orb which are due to be presented to Dresden in February 2000.

Councillor Mrs Maggie Rosher, Lord Mayor of Coventry said,

"In the name of peace and reconciliation, it is a great honour to welcome the German ambassador and the mayor of Dresden together with cultural representatives from America and Japan to Coventry for the special service in the cathedral for the Dresden orb. The orb is the gift from the Dresden trust in the UK and is a symbol of the unity between our two countries."