Tobago is to be twinned with district of St Ann's in Guadeloupe This decision was taken following a round of visits by teams from the French Caribbean island and Tobago.

A two-member team comprising a cultural icon of Guadeloupe, Mario Coco who is a dance choreographer and the Deputy Mayor of the St Ann's District in Guadeloupe Diana Perran visited Tobago last week to further the process. Their visit followed a similar one made to Guadeloupe last year by THA Chief Secretary Orville London and other Assemblymen.

Perran has committed herself to continue discussions with the Mayor of St Ann's to bring a team to Tobago to continue the twinning process, London has said.

He recalled that his visit to Guadeloupe last year was a fantastic experience because of the whole idea of the twinning between Tobago and St Ann's. He said there were a number of areas where the collaboration will be of mutual benefit to both islands.

London added that coming out of that visit the Secretary of Community Development and Culture Tracy Davidson-Celestine recently introduced the night market concept at the Pembroke Heritage Park in east Tobago. Coco held training sessions in dance at the Bacolet Dance Theatre, and community centres in Parlatuvier, Delaford and John Dial.

London said Coco was quite excited by what he had seen in Tobago and has indicated that one of the things he would like to do was a production involving the cultures of Martinique and Guadeloupe so that Tobagonians would be able to see the similarities and differences. He said Perran was committed to speaking with the Mayor of St Ann's to have him and a team visit Tobago to work out the twinning process to everybody's satisfaction.