The Ministry of European Affairs marked Interreg Cooperation Day in Herceg Novi. The event was organised within the framework of the Interreg IPA programme Croatia – Bosnia and Herzegovina – Montenegro, aiming to promote the results of projects and programmes of European territorial and cross-border cooperation.

At the beginning of the event, a meeting was held between the Minister of European Affairs, Maida Gorčević, the Mayor of Herceg Novi, Stevan Katić, and Head of Cooperation at the Delegation of the European Union to Montenegro, Yngve Engstrom.

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Minister Gorčević expressed satisfaction that the meeting was organised at the Ivo Andrić House, citing it as an example of European Union funds being successfully used.

"I am particularly pleased to have had the opportunity to introduce the Mayor and his associates with the upcoming calls for cooperation programmes funded by the EU , and to discuss all the challenges the Municipality of Herceg Novi faces. The Government of Montenegro and the Ministry of European Affairs, in cooperation with the Delegation of the European Union to Montenegro, are at the Municipality’s disposal to continue to successfully use EU funds in the future," Gorčević highlighted.

Herceg Novi Mayor, Stevan Katić, stated that the municipality had implemented numerous cross-border cooperation projects in recent years, including those with partners from Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

"The Municipality of Herceg Novi will continue to actively utilise European funds in the coming period, maintaining excellent cooperation with the Ministry of European Affairs. In this context, we have agreed to jointly organise training for local government officials to strengthen capacities for preparing and implementing EU-funded projects," Katić said.

Head of Cooperation at the Delegation of the European Union to Montenegro, Yngve Engstrom, stated that the Interreg Cooperation Day is an opportunity to discuss significant achievements and celebrate the success of numerous cross-border, transnational, and interregional cooperation programmes funded by the EU.

"In cooperation with the Ministry of European Affairs, we have successfully implemented hundreds of different projects across Montenegro over the past 15 years, and we are committed to continuing this work in the future. These projects aim to transform local communities into competitive, innovative, smarter, more resilient, and greener regions. Such transformations will lead to the creation of new jobs, improved services for citizens and tourists, cleaner environments, and many other benefits for the local population," Engstrom noted.

As part of the celebration of the Interreg Cooperation Day, a joint demonstration exercise was held by the rescue and protection services of Herceg Novi, Konavle, and Trebinje. These services have worked together within the "Flood & Fire" project, co-financed through the Interreg IPA Cross-border Cooperation Programme Croatia – Bosnia and Herzegovina – Montenegro.

Minister Gorčević and her associates also visited the "Ivan Goran Kovačić" Secondary School and donated valuable equipment, including 16 laptops and a TV, stating that the Ministry of European Affairs aims to support equal access to education in this way. The equipment, worth around €8,500, was purchased with funds from the Interreg VI-A IPA Programme Croatia – Bosnia and Herzegovina – Montenegro 2021-2027. Following the signing of the donation together with EU Delegation representatives, Minister Gorčević held a discussion with students about the European integration.

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As part of the Interreg Cooperation Day celebration, a joint cycling ride was organised in cooperation with the "Ivan Goran Kovačić" Secondary School, along the route of the former "Ćiro" railway, transformed into a cycling path within the ĆIRO II project. This project was implemented by the Herceg Novi Development and Construction Agency in cooperation with the Municipality of Ravno and the Municipality of Konavle, with support from the aforementioned Interreg IPA programme.

Interreg Cooperation Day is marked annually in September and October to promote European territorial and cross-border cooperation programmes and showcase the results of joint projects by institutions and organisations in border areas across Europe.

This year's Interreg Cooperation Day focuses on European values, emphasising how cross-border cooperation programmes help overcome borders.

Article source: EU4ME