Taipei, Oct. 25 (CNA) Tainan officially established a sister city relationship with the U.S. city of New Orleans on Tuesday to enhance cooperation in the areas of education, culture and tourism, city officials said.

Tainan Mayor Huang Wei-che (黃偉哲) and New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell signed an agreement at a virtual ceremony to formalize the links.

During the event, Huang praised New Orleans' rich cultural history, noting that it hosts world-famous Mardi Gras festivities and is the birthplace of jazz.

He said that he extended an invitation for Cantrell to visit Tainan in 2024, when the city will host celebrations marking the 400th anniversary of its establishment.

Under the pact, Tainan's National Cheng Kung University and Xavier University of Louisiana, which is located in New Orleans, will also be paired as "sister colleges," Huang said.

Cantrell, meanwhile, noted that her city held events in 2019 to mark the 40th anniversary of the Taiwan Relations Act, and said the cities' agreement is indicative of deepening U.S.-Taiwan ties, according to a Tainan City Government press release.

Tainan now has sister or friendship city agreements with 46 cities, mainly in the U.S. and Japan, city government data shows.