NATCHEZ &045; A delegation from Natchez is visiting Sweden next week in an effort to establish a &uot;sister city&uot; relationship &045; and perhaps raise the locals’ interest in visiting and investing in Miss-Lou.

Those leaving Sunday for Sweden include Mayor Phillip West, city Grants Coordinator Brett Brinegar and Tammi Gardner, director of the Downtown Development Association and member of the Convention Promotion Commission. They will return on Aug. 25.

The purpose of the trip &uot;is to sell and market Natchez Š to develop relationships and contacts&uot; that could lead to possible Swedish development in Natchez in the future, West said.

The region the group is visiting is a tourist destination itself and, as such, has much in common with Natchez, West said.

But he added the Swedish people are also frequent travelers as well, commonly taking as much as a one-month vacation annually.

&uot;The mayor of Madison said a large delegation comes to Mississippi, and hopefully we persuade some of them to come to Natchez while they’re here,&uot; West said.

Madison also has a sister city relationship with a Swedish town, one that has resulted in the location of a Swedish-American Chamber of Commerce office in Madison.

Madison Mayor Mary Hawkins Butler accompanied Swedish Gov. Gerhard Larsson to Natchez in April to visit with West, a visit that eventually resulted in plans for a Natchez group to come to Sweden.