Riga and Tartu are official twin cities, and Estonia's second city lies closer to the Latvian border than it does to Tallinn, while Riga held the title of European Capital of Culture in 2014, exactly 10 years before Tartu's turn.

Visiting Riga Thursday, Tartu Mayor Urmas Klaas (Reform) said: "Tartu and South Estonia are also aiming to be visible as the Capital of Culture in our neighboring countries, while Riga is undoubtedly a very important partner for us."

"It was the wish of both cities to join forces in cultural exchange as well as marketing, and the cooperation agreement to be concluded is confirmation of this," the mayor said, according to a City of Tartu press release.

The agreement between the two cities aims at closer cooperation 2023-2024, when Tartu and South Estonia hold the title of European Capital of Culture.

Mayor Klaas and his Tartu 2024 team's visit to Riga laid further groundwork in the project.

It was also the mayor's first opportunity to have a face-to-face meeting with his Riga counterpart Mārtiņš Staķis, along with other representatives of the City of Riga.

Several events in Tartu 2024 will also reach Riga, including a marketing event, while at the end of this year the entire European Capital of Culture Tartu 2024 program will be unveiled in both cities.

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