Normally, Pitea Day, held in mid-August, was the celebration to commemorate the twinning of St Barth and Pieta, Sweden. However, starting this year, St Barth will dedicate a full week in November to celebrate the ongoing friendship between St Barth and Sweden and the island's Swedish past and to introduce the populace of St Barth to today's Sweden. The events will start on the Sunday before the annual running of the Gustavialoppet marathon, which will close the week's activities. According to Yves Greaux, who is vice-president of the territorial council and is responsible for cultural affairs, "2008 marks a triple date: the first Swedish Week in Saint Barth; the 30 years of twin cities Pitea and Saint Barth, and the 130th anniversary of the retrocession of the island to France. It is important to give this first edition a real visibility, to give it a solid base to become an annual event." As such, the vice-president has asked for projects to be submitted to the Tourist Office before August 15. The event will take place November 16-23 and is being organized by the non-profit associations ASBAS and Skaellskapet (The Friends of Saint Barth Association of Stockholm).