Adriatic Euroregion

[Ace Rimmer]

JOINT DECLARATION ON LAUNCHING OF ADRIATIC EUROREGION SIGNED IN VENICE

http://www.adriaticeuroregion.org/hr/maps/mapa-JER-500.jpg

http://www.adriaticeuroregion.org/en/

VENICE, Feb 6 (Hina) - Representatives of local authorities from six Adriatic countries signed in Venice on Monday a declaration on the launching of the Adriatic Euroregion with an aim to strengthen economic development, security, social cohesion, and environmental protection in a region populated by 22 million people.

Attending the conference were representatives from Croatia, Slovenia, Italy, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia and Montenegro, and Albania.

The Adriatic Euroregion will be formally launched after the six states' regional representative bodies adopt the Euroregion's statute and the founding assembly will be held at Brijuni, Croatia, in July.

Ivan Jakovcic, head of the northern Croatian Adriatic County of Istria, was elected president of the Euroregion, which will be based in Pula, Croatia, but will also have an office in Brussels.

Speaking of the significance of the declaration, Council of Europe Secretary-General Terry Davis said the Adriatic was rich in terms of history, culture, and natural resources, but had been burdened with wars throughout history. He added this was why it was necessary to draw lessons from that and build a better and safer future, notably through interregional cooperation.

This region is not the European Union's waiting room nor its alternative but represents the richness of interregional cooperation in the 21st century, said Davis.

Speaking to the press, Jakovcic underlined that without the Adriatic's east coast there was no real or integral Europe.

"Now Europe does not end on the Slovene border but begins there. I am certain the Adriatic Euroregion is one of the best mechanisms of Europe's modern political architecture which can offer a strong integration of regions on the Adriatic in this part of Europe and thus help states complete the European integration process more easily," said Jakovcic.

He declined to say why representatives of Lika-Senj and Sibenik-Knin counties were not in attendance but said that Prime Minister Ivo Sanader and Foreign Affairs and European Integration Minister Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic had strongly supported the launching of the Euroregion.

Slovenia did not sign the declaration because authorised representatives of its maritime municipalities did not attend the conference.

The Adriatic Euroregion's objectives include preservation of the stability of its regions, strengthening of social and economic cohesion, sustainable development, the advancement of agriculture, fisheries and tourism, and environmental protection.

The Adriatic Euroregion will unite seven Italian regions, three Slovene maritime municipalities, seven Croatian counties, Bosnia's Herzegovina-Neretva Canton, Montenegro, and seven Albanian provinces.

(Hina) (http://www.hina.hr/nws-bin/genews.cgi?TOP=hot&NID=ehot/politika/H2065379.4yc)

[Watzy]

I cant say I like of the idea of 'Euroregions', especially not regions including nations with recent or historic scores to settle.

"Tall fences made good neighbors" - a Christian proverb.

[Ace Rimmer]

I cant say I like of the idea of 'Euroregions', especially not regions including nations with recent or historic scores to settle.

"Tall fences made good neighbors" - a Christian proverb.

It seems to concentrate on strengthening economic development and environmental protection, as the article said.

Which nations and historic scores were you referring to precise?

[Watzy]

It seems to concentrate on strengthening economic development and environmental protection, as the article said.

Which nations and historic scores were you referring to precise?

I was referring to the latent Italian irredentism and the growing Italian real estate ownership in targeted areas of Istria and Dalmatia.

These economic issues have a political significance.

[Ace Rimmer]

ADRIATIC EUROREGION ESTABLISHED IN PULA

PULA, June 30 (Hina) - The Adriatic Euroregion was established in Croatia's northern Adriatic city of Pula on Friday and Istria County Prefect Ivan Jakovcic was elected its first president.

The establishment of the new Euroregion, to be based in Pula, came after two years of preparations under the auspices of the Council of Europe. Today's founding assembly of the Adriatic Euroregion was attended by representatives from all six member-countries - Italy, Croatia, Slovenia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Montenegro and Albania.

Addressing the participants, Croatian President Stjepan Mesic said he was confident that countries gravitating towards the Adriatic Sea were taking part in the project for the sake of cooperation and not domination.

"We want to prove that regional interests do not have to be separate from national interests and that national policies do not have to be opposed to European policies. Quite the contrary, we want to show that within a wider framework, regional and national, as well as European processes, can be mutually complementary rather than mutually exclusive."

The President of the Presidency of Bosnia-Herzegovina, Sulejman Tihic, said that Istria was the best possible place to establish the Adriatic Euroregion because it was known for its tolerance and openness. The Adriatic Euroregion will have an extremely important role because the Adriatic Sea is significant for the Adriatic countries, he said.

"Bosnia-Herzegovina is a maritime country, perhaps not as long as the other countries, but in many aspects it is oriented towards the Adriatic Sea, and as a multiethnic state it is interested in cooperating with all other countries in the Adriatic, the ultimate goal being integration with the European Union," Tihic said.

Istria County Prefect Ivan Jakovcic, the first president of the Adriatic Euroregion, said the region wanted to be "an efficient forum for harmonising different interests in the Adriatic".

"By establishing the Adriatic Euroregion we want to set the wheel of history irreversibly towards peace and prosperity."

The founding session also adopted the Statute of the Adriatic Euroregion, and elected Angelo Michele Diorio of the Italian region of Molise its vice-president.

After the session, the Office of the Adriatic Euroregion was opened in the building of the Italian Community in Pula.

(Hina) (http://www.hina.hr/nws-bin/genews.cgi?TOP=hot&NID=ehot/politika/H6301383.4yc)

[Bartholomew Roberts]

As soon as one hear's the name "Jakovcic" you know the iniative must be bad for Croatia!

[Ambrosio Spinola]

As soon as Croatia is within the EU you can tell your national borders good bye anyhow. The Spanish coastline is filled with other Euro nations citizens who have settled here like the European Florida. The sooner you get over it the better. :p

[Bartholomew Roberts]

As soon as Croatia is within the EU you can tell your national borders good bye anyhow. The Spanish coastline is filled with other Euro nations citizens who have settled here like the European Florida. The sooner you get over it the better. :p


I agree, and I have decided that I will buy a house in Spain, next to you. I will then hold wild Croatian parties and bring over Gromovnik, Zvaci, Zrinski, Ken et.al on big Croatian drinking sprees and we will put the English pensioners there to great shame!:deadhorse:

[Ambrosio Spinola]

Spain is already a Florida like nation to Europe. Whatever real heavy industry there was has been, and is, dismantled over the years of EU partnership.
The Adriatic will be much of the same I guess.

[Watzy]

As soon as Croatia is within the EU you can tell your national borders good bye anyhow. The Spanish coastline is filled with other Euro nations citizens who have settled here like the European Florida. The sooner you get over it the better. :p

There is an organized sale of everything of worth in the coastline: best building locations, best hotels...and Italians made a state policy out of it. Italian state even accused our government for discriminating Italians in respect to other interested buyers. One of the conditions for EU entrance is to sell all everything so the foreign capitalists can own us.

Once when the foreigners own everything, what shall be left for us to do? Baton's uprising? :D :rolleyes:

Selling so much to the Italians worries me, especially being aware of Italian irredentism over Istria and Dalmatia and of Istrian regionalism personified in Istrian regionalist/separatist Jakovcic. Fortunately Austrians are the major competitors to Italians in buying, it's a fortune within a misfortune.