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Cécilia Stal, Consul of the Swedish Embassy in Paris, who came especially for the twinning celebrations, shares her impressions of the link between Saint-Barthélemy and the Swedish town of Piteå (pronounced “Pitéo”).
“As there is a historical link, it's important for Sweden to show our respect to Saint-Barthélemy,” she shares. She also says she was impressed to see the interest in Swedish culture on Saint-Barthélemy: “I didn't realize the link was so strong until I came here. I was very impressed to see the children dancing and playing Swedish music during the show. In Sweden, family is very important. The Nordic music workshop with the children honors this bond”. She concludes by sharing her sentiment: “We feel at home here.
“Taking care of our roots"
Every year, Asbas, in collaboration with the Collectivité de Saint-Barthélemy, co-organizes all the twinning celebrations. Nils Dufau, President of Asbas, shares his views on the twinning and these festive days.
“The most important thing for me is the transatlantic friendship with Sweden and Piteå. We have to take care of our roots, like the roots of a tree,” he says. With good roots, a tree grows very well and for a long time. Our association and the one in Piteå are synchronized to take care of these roots. He explains how important it is to value history, but also to bring the community together around sport, culture, fishing and friendship. These are the pillars on which the program of twinning festivities is built every year. This year, participation in the various twinning festivities broke all records. “There were around a hundred more participants in the Gustavialoppet, a record turnout for the fishing competitions and a large number of visitors,” he says. He reiterates the importance of highlighting fishing as a way of celebrating the culture of Saint-Barthélemy: “Without fishing, the people of Saint-Barthélemy would not have survived. It's at the heart of our roots.
Translated with DeepL.com (free version)
