ZAGREB ZAGREB, June 27 (Hina) - Officials of Croatia's European Integration Ministry and a delegation of the Austrian province of Styria, led by Prime Minister Waltraud Klasnic, discussed the development of regional cooperation and
the training of civil servants at a meeting in Zagreb on Wednesday. "We discussed a special project of regional cooperation which would include three Austrian provinces - Styria, Burgenland and Carinthia, Italy's provinces of Friuli, Julia and Veneto and western areas of Hungary, Slovenia and Croatia," Deputy European Integration Minister Mirjana Mladineo said after the meeting. Styria has launched an initiative called "A Region of the Future", which is aimed at connecting regions in neighbouring countries in South and East Europe and integrating them in joint European Union development programmes. The area would have a population of 17 million and thus become recognisable as a more import
ZAGREB, June 27 (Hina) - Officials of Croatia's European
Integration Ministry and a delegation of the Austrian province of
Styria, led by Prime Minister Waltraud Klasnic, discussed the
development of regional cooperation and the training of civil
servants at a meeting in Zagreb on Wednesday.
"We discussed a special project of regional cooperation which would
include three Austrian provinces - Styria, Burgenland and
Carinthia, Italy's provinces of Friuli, Julia and Veneto and
western areas of Hungary, Slovenia and Croatia," Deputy European
Integration Minister Mirjana Mladineo said after the meeting.
Styria has launched an initiative called "A Region of the Future",
which is aimed at connecting regions in neighbouring countries in
South and East Europe and integrating them in joint European Union
development programmes.
The area would have a population of 17 million and thus become
recognisable as a more important European region. Fifty percent of
the funds needed for the implementation of this project, primarily
its economic segment, which would require three to four million
euros, would be provided by the EU until 2008.
Since May 2000, the economic cooperation between Styrian and
Croatian business subjects has been developing in this direction
and this November, the two sides will hold a joint business day in
Graz. As regards the education of personnel, Klasnic mentioned the
organisation of seminars on economic cooperation in Croatia and the
training of young Croatian civil servants in the Styrian house in
Brussels.
Croatia and Styria can cooperate in the construction of the road and
communal infrastructure, particularly sewerage, rubbish dumps,
and gas supply networks in Croatian towns, Public Works and
Construction Minister Radimir Cacic said after meeting the Styrian
delegation.
Styria wants this meeting to be part of preparations for the region
of the future and we all must be aware that this will be a big and
economically strong region of Central Europe which will be able to
take its fate into its own hands, Klasnic said.
(hina) sb rml