News

• Eusair
• Culture
• Tourism
• AII Permanent Secretariat
• Amb. Pigliapoco
• Chairmaship/Montenegro (2018/2019)

The AII Round Table on Tourism and Culture took place in Podgorica on April 4, organized by the AII Montenegrin Chairmanship in cooperation with the Ministry of Sustainable Development and Tourism and the Ministry of Culture of Montenegro.

Within the framework of the Round Table, two panels were held, during which representatives of the public and private sectors presented the importance of cultural tourism for tourist destinations and its further development. On the panel entitled "Interdependence of Tourism and Culture in the Adriatic-Ionian Region", participants discussed about the Cultural Tourism Development Program, the impact of digital technologies, as well as story telling models in the interpretation of heritage along cultural and tourist routes. Likewise, the socio-economic impact of cultural tourism on local communities and the improvement of tourism statistics in the field of cultural tourism at regional level were discussed during the panel.  

On the second panel entitled “Cultural tourism in relation to UNESCO World Heritage Site“a case study "Stećci - medieval tombstones" was presented. This is a case of regional cooperation among four countries, Montenegro, Serbia, Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, which together classified sculpted, medieval tombstones to the UNESCO World Heritage List. 

According to the regulations of the AII Round Tables overhauled in 2015, the results of the Round Table have been transferred to the 10^th Thematic Steering Groups 4 on Sustainable Tourism, which was held back to back with the AII Round Table. In this regard, showing the strong connection between AII Round Tables and EUSAIR TSGs, Blanka Belošević, Coordinator of EUSAIR Pillar 4, took the floor in order to underline this important link.

Please find here the Agenda of the event.

• AII Permanent Secretariat
• Chairmaship/Montenegro (2018/2019)
• Amb.Castellaneta
• North Macedonia

It has been held on the  27^th-28^th of March 2019 in Skopje the joint official visit of the AII Permanent Secretariat together with the Montenegrin Chairmanship to the new AII Participating Country – the Republic of North Macedonia.

The delegation of the AII Permanent Secretariat chaired by Amb. Castellaneta – AII Secretary General - together with Mr. Ivan Ivanišević - Director General for Multilateral Affairs at the Montengro MFA - in his capacity of Chairman of the AII, had meetings with Mr. Nikola Dimitrov, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Bujar Osmani, Deputy Prime Minister for European Affairs, Mr. Talat Dzaferi, President of the Assembly and Mr. Valmir Aziri, State Secretary at the Ministry of Culture

 Topics which have been discussed during the meetings were:

• The great satisfaction for the for the liveliness of the Adriatic and Ionian Initiative, further demonstrated by its power of attraction of new Participating Countries;
• The strict connection between AII and EUSAIR;
• Steps ahead for the inclusion of North Macedonia in the EUSAIR;
• The strong role of the AII in enhancing regional cooperation and good neighbourly relations, instrumental to open the path of the European integration process to candidate and potential candidate countries.

• Eusair
• AIC
• Chairmaship/Montenegro (2018/2019)
• Fora

The 4^th Forum of the EU Strategy for the Adriatic and Ionian Region (EUSAIR) and 2nd Fora of the Adriatic and Ionian Chambers of Commerce, Cities and Universities, will take place in BUDVA (Montenegro), on 7-8 May 2019, under the slogan »Integration for the people, development for the region«

The traditional annual event aims to raise visibility of the EUSAIR and reflect on the progress made since the 3rd Forum held in Catania in May 2018.

The 4th EUSAIR Forum will focus on the topics related to the field of Tourism and Blue Growth. The participants will also have the chance to discuss funding mechanisms for all four thematic pillars of the EUSAIR and share concrete ideas on the future prospects of the Strategy.

Each year the Forum attracts numerous stakeholders, such as European Commission and other EU institutions, National ministries, Regional and Local authorities, Business sector, Academia and Civil society, who share views, exchange experience and discuss ways of cooperation.

Two Forums will be preceded by the Adriatic and Ionian Council/EUSAIR Ministerial Meeting (event reserved to Ministers and their delegations) and other side events on 6 May 2019  (ADRION Annual Event, Facility Point Workshop with journalism students, etc.). Side thematic meetings and cultural and social events you can find in the event programme draft.

Detailed information on Concept Note can be found in the 4th EUSAIR Forum Handbook.

You are kindly invited to join us at this great networking opportunity and contribute towards further implementation of the EUSAIR Strategy.

Please find at the following link the module to register to the event: https://www.adriatic-ionian.eu/event/4th-eusair-annual-forum/registrations/

For further information please visit the following webpage: https://www.adriatic-ionian.eu/event/4th-eusair-annual-forum/4th-eusair-annual-forum-draft/

• Parliamentary Dimension
• Chairmaship/Montenegro (2018/2019)

The XVI Conference of Presidents of Parliaments of the Adriatic and Ionian Initiative took place in Budva on 18^th-19^th of March 2019.

The Conference has been attended by Presidents or Vice Presidents from the nine AII Participating Countries: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Greece, Italy, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, and Slovenia. Aside from the host - President of the Montenegrin Parliament Mr Ivan Brajović and Prime Minister Mr Duško Marković, also Minister of Foreign Affairs of Montenegro Srđan Darmanović, Minister of Sustainable Development and Tourism Pavle Radulović, Minister of Culture of Montenegro Aleksandar Bogdanović and AII Secretary General Amb. Giovanni Castellaneta took part in the event.     

The Conference dealt with the following topics:             
• Tourism and culture as a common denominator, advantage and strategic commitment of the AII states
• Parliamentary bodies as an important resource for strengthening cooperation in priority areas of the AII states

The adoption of the Joint Statement marked the end of the 16^th Conference of Presidents/Speakers of Parliaments of the Adriatic & Ionian Initiative (AII). In their Joint Statement, parliaments of Participating Countries determine that cooperation of national parliaments within the AII is important for identifying regional projects, which should, among other things, support the Western Balkans integration in the EU. Parliaments provide support to the EU Strategy for the Adriatic and Ionian Region, which represents a useful instrument of cooperation between the EU Member States and candidate countries and potential membership candidates. Participants in the Conference, as representatives of their parliaments, call for European institutions to strengthen their political and financial support to the implementation of strategic projects from the EU Strategy for the Adriatic and Ionian Region.

The Statement also notes that the AII parliaments call for all national, regional and local authorities, private sector and the NGOs to continue to develop synergy between strategies of sustainable tourism and cultural sector. Participants point out the significance of improving infrastructure, which is essential for increasing accessibility and connectivity of the region and note the significance of security and safety for sustainable development of a tourism destination, and call for stronger cooperation and exchange of good practice among participating countries of the Adriatic and Ionian Initiative.

Please find here a short clip about the XVI Conference and the adoption of the Joint Statement.

DOWNLOADS:

XVI CONFERENCE OF PRESIDENTS OF PARLIAMENTS OF THE AII – JOINT STATEMENT

WELCOME ADDRESS BY PRESIDENT OF THE PARLIAMENT OF MONTENEGRO MR IVAN BRAJOVIĆ

OPENING REMARKS BY AII SECRETARY GENERAL AMB. GIOVANNI CASTELLANETA