Identify common problems and try to solve them together. This is what emerged in the recent meeting between the mayors of the Istrian area, on the Croatian, Slovenian and Italian side, held in Grisignana, organised by LDA of Verteneglio.
After an initial phase coordinated by ALDA the conference should be independent and will ask, as already happened in other parts of Europe, European funds to be able to realize projects.
The proposal was made by the President of the Istria Region, Ivan Jakovčić, representing all the Mayors of Istria.
Create a non-governmental organisation, not competing with national institutions in policy-making, is the idea of Jakovčić, who will write a draft document that mayors should adopt to form this organisation that may be called “Standing Conference of Municipalities in Istria and Trieste”.
The Vice President of ALDA, Alessandro Perelli and the delegate of the LDA Verteneglio-Brtonigla, Umberto Ademollo, stressed the need of cross-border cooperation through joint actions to solve the problems of the population that are the same in all the municipalities. A collaboration at the local level that will be even more facilitated by the now upcoming accession of Croatia to the European Union as a Member State.
“We must focus on the practical problems of our people, as the highway to be completed, the possibility of obtaining care hospital in Izola and why not in Trieste, a simplification for students across borders and breaking down barriers in entrepreneurship, especially for young people” said the mayor of Grisignana, Rino Dunis.
Fully agreed with these themes the other mayors attending the meeting: Edi Andreašić (Buie), Anteo Milos (Cittanova), Dorijano Labinjan (Verteneglio) e Aleksandar Krt (Portole), representing Croatian Municipalities, Danijel Cep, Deputy Mayor of Capodistria, Peter Bossman (Pirano) and Igor Kolenc (Isola) representing Slovenian Municipalities and Nerio Nesladek (Muggia) and Premolin Fulvia, (San Dorligo della Valle – Dolina) representing Italian Municipalities.
Also the Mayor of Trieste, Roberto Cosolini, absent for institutional commitments, is available to participate in the initiative.
The Consul of Italy in Rijeka, Renato Cianfarani, stressed the need of collaboration between towns with a story and a social culture so close. Also the Honorary Vice-Consul of Italy in Buie, Giuseppina Rajko attended the meeting.