Interreg Cooperation Day Celebrated in Kotor

The Ministry of European Affairs, in partnership with the Delegation of the European Union to Montenegro, marked the Interreg Cooperation Day with a visit to the Municipality of Kotor.

Interreg Cooperation Day is celebrated at the end of September and the start of October to promote collaboration among institutions and organisations that carry out joint projects in border regions across Europe with the help of the European Union.

The delegation from the Ministry of European Affairs, led by State Secretary and National IPA Coordinator Milena Žižić and the Head of the Cooperation Sector at the EU Delegation Yngve Engstrom, along with other colleagues, met with the Mayor of Kotor, Vladimir Jokić. They discussed the previous outcomes of cross-border cooperation projects and explored future funding possibilities through the European Union.

"We haven't chosen Kotor randomly this year. The Municipality of Kotor, along with numerous institutions and organisations from this municipality, has successfully executed projects funded through European Union funds dedicated to cross-border and territorial cooperation for several years," stated Žižić.

She stressed that organisations in Kotor have the opportunity to apply for funds from eight cross-border and territorial cooperation programmes, out of a total of the 11 which Montenegro participates in.

"I'd like to remind you that within the IPA II programme framework, which covered the period from 2014 to 2020, 23 cross-border and territorial cooperation projects were carried out in the Municipality of Kotor, with institutions and organisations utilising EU non-repayable funds worth almost €7 million," added Žižić.

The Mayor of Kotor expressed his appreciation for the consistent support provided by the Ministry of European Affairs and the Delegation of the European Union to local self-governments and other stakeholders in applying for EU funds.

"Through EU funds for cross-border cooperation, several beneficiaries from our municipality have been supported, including the Institute of Marine Biology, the Maritime Faculty, the Cultural Centre, as well as the Ministry of Culture and Media. Among future projects that will receive assistance from EU funds, I would highlight the construction of the water supply and sewage network in the municipality, which is intended to permanently address the issues of water supply and wastewater disposal systems. Our intention is to secure additional funding through the Western Balkans Investment Framework," said Jokić, adding that the Municipality will pay special attention to energy efficiency and environmental protection projects in the future.

While speaking about the support of the European Union, Yngve Engstrom, Head of the Cooperation Sector at the EU Delegation, emphasised that cross-border cooperation is the fundamental idea of a united Europe, and the programmes and people implementing them work tirelessly towards that goal.

"In collaboration with the Ministry of European Affairs, we have successfully implemented hundreds of diverse projects throughout Montenegro over the past 15 years, and we are committed to continuing this work in the future. The new cross border programmes will align with EU priorities, such as the EU agenda for digital and green transition.

These new projects aim to transform local communities into competitive, innovative, smarter, and greener regions. This transformation will result in job creation, improved services, cleaner environments, and many other benefits for the local populations," explained Engstrom.

This year's Interreg Cooperation Day was dedicated to skills in the field of creative industries and arts, to correspond with the year 2023 being declared as the European Year of Skills by the European Commission.

During the visit, a tour of the Creative Hub in Kotor was organised, which was opened two years ago through the adaptation of the old Kotor prison building. This space, expected to become a regional gathering centre for creatives and artists, was reconstructed thanks to the 3C project, supported through the Interreg IPA cross-border cooperation programme Italy - Albania - Montenegro 2014 -2020, with the Ministry of Culture and Media as the leading partner.

As part of the Interreg Cooperation Day celebration, the Ministry of European Affairs, in collaboration with the "Vida Matjan" music school, organised a concert by the EarPiece string quartet, featuring compositions by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Steve Reich, aimed at enhancing the skills of students attending this educational institution. The EarPiece string quartet was formed during the implementation of the project of the same name, which was also supported through the Interreg IPA cross-border cooperation programme Italy - Albania - Montenegro.