Brussels, 05/07/2006 (Agence Europe) - The Adriatic Euro-region was officially launched on Friday 30 June at a conference in Pula (Croatia), with the opening of the offices of the Adriatic Council and the signature of the Foundation Act. Taking part at the event were the President of Croatia, Stjepan Mesic, the President of Bosnia-Herzegovina, Sulejman Tihic, the Vice-Minister of the Interior for Albania, Ferdinand Poni, the Italian Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Famiano Crucianelli, as well as by the President of the Istrian Region, Ivan Jakovic, who was elected President of the Adriatic Council.
Speaking during the ceremony, the former President of the Council of Europe's Congress of Local and Regional Authorities, Giovanni Di Stasi, said: “The Euro-region's permanent structure will not only lead to synergies in applying sustainable development strategies, but also serve as a factor for the promotion of new cross-border and transnational cooperative initiatives and a means of channelling those already existing within a broader, more harmonious framework”. He also stressed that, with the creation of a Euro-region, it is the whole Adriatic region that will benefit from the cooperation initiatives between rim countries, aimed in particular at consolidating relations between the EU and the South East European countries.
The Adriatic Euro-region was supported by the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of Europe on the occasion of its plenary session on 2 June, the Council of Europe press service points out.