The European Cooperation Day within the Interreg IPA Cross-border Co-operation Programme Croatia-Serbia 2014-2020 was celebrated on 17 October at the Children's and Youth Centre Miroslav Mika Antić in Sombor. This is a European territorial cooperation programme that establishes and encourages cooperation between four counties in eastern Croatia and five districts of north-west Serbia, with a total budget of EUR 40 million that includes IPA funds and resources provided by countries participating in the Programme.
“The European Cooperation Day is a manifestation dedicated to the regions of Europe that are resolving development challenges independently of state borders. Today's celebration in Sombor shows the benefits and results of 23 projects jointly implemented by partners from Croatia and Serbia. We are witnesses of how, through projects, these two countries are jointly progressing and becoming part of the European success and development story”, stated Josip Malogorski, Deputy Director of the Agency for Regional Development of the Republic of Croatia, which is the Managing Authority of the Programme.
The topic of this year's celebration of the European Cooperation Day is the promotion of cultural diversity, and accordingly, entertainment and educational events have been organised throughout Europe. With the idea of respecting the role of children and young people in building the future of the EU, the celebration in Sombor included children from Miroslav Mika Antić Home in Sombor and SOS Children's Village Ladimirevci from Croatia. The event was conceived as a kind of cross-border art colony with all-day activities involving colouring t-shirts and canvases and painting a wall in such a way that it links the sights of Osijek and Sombor into a unique mural.
“This year's Cooperation Day, the seventh in a row, themed ‘Let’s colour our future together’, is dedicated to children and youth and their experiences of growing up in these areas of Croatia and Serbia. We want to use learning, drawing and dancing as a fun way to show appreciation for the diversity that connects us and paint the cooperation between Croatia and Serbia. We also strive to hear their hopes, but also fears, in order to build a secure future for them through new projects and cooperation”, said Josip Malogorski.
“It is our great pleasure to celebrate the European Cooperation Day today, which has been celebrated in the previous seven years in more than 40 countries throughout Europe. This event is a great opportunity to present our cooperation programme, raise people's awareness of the opportunities that can be realised through these programmes, and make the results of our joint work even more visible. In a way, this is an annual reminder of how crucial cooperation is to all of us”, stated Valentina Vidović, Head of the Division for Cross-Border Cooperation Programmes and Supervision over the Implementation of Technical Assistance Projects for Programmes with EU Member States.
In addition to Josip Malogorski, the following representatives of National Bodies of the Cross-Border Cooperation Programme participated in the celebration of the European Cooperation Day: Valentina Vidović, Head of the Division for Cross-Border Cooperation Programmes and Supervision over the Implementation of Technical Assistance Projects for Programmes with EU Member States, Ministry of European Integration of the Republic of Serbia, and Dragana Otašević, Head of the Department for Cross-Border Cooperation with Non-EU Countries, Ministry of Regional Development and EU Funds of the Republic of Croatia.
More information about the programme is available at http://www.interreg-croatia-serbia2014-2020.eu/.
More information on the European Cooperation Day in Sombor can be found on the official website: https://www.ecday.eu/web/.
