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The first Committee of Senior Officials of the Adriatic and Ionian Initiative was held last 17 June in Sarajevo. The new Chairman, Amb. Ivan Orlic, presented the program and the priorities of the Chairmanship that also this year are strictly linked with the EUSAIR priority pillars which is going to be approved by next autumn.
Great attention was also given to the damages and the consequences of the catastrophic floods that hit Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia and Croatia. All AII Contries have given support and solidarity in different forms to the people of the Region.
The CSO was also the occasion to present the Project “Adriatic Model of Sustainable Mobility in the Health & Care Sector” funded by the EU funding program IPA-CBC and led by the Federal Ministry of Health of BiH.
The working day was concluded by the cultural event “Sarajevo , a port with no sea – music, tales and songs” with the participation of Moni Ovadia and Minka Muftic which was a preview of the Adriatic Mediterranean Festival that will take place in Ancona at the beginning of September.
On the occasion of the opening Day of the AII Chairmanship of Bosnia and Herzegovina ( June 2014 - May 2015) , the Secretary General of the Adriatic and Ionian Initiative , Amb. Fabio Pigliapoco , was received by the Chairman of the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina , H.E. Vjekoslav Bevanda , at the Seat of the Federal Government .
The meeting , which took place before the first Committee of Senior Officials of AII ( Ministries of Foreign Affairs ) under BiH Presidency , offered the opportunity of a comprehensive exchange of wievs on the Goals and Program of the new Chairmanship , after the good results obtained during the year of the Albanian Presidency ,just ended .
The scope of last February Athens AII Ministerial meeting , which solemnly confirmed the Adriatic and Ionian Initiative as the " intergovernmental anchorage " of the AII , was highlighted and highly appreciated . The Athens Declaration represents - according to both - a milestone in the life of the Organization which is now fully engaged in the macroregional process . The Permanent Secretariat will continue in the action of support of the AII rotating Presidency in full cooperation with the European Commission.
The Goverrnment of Bosnia and Herzegovina is perfectly aware that the period of its Presidency , coinciding with the first semester of the Italian Presidency of the EU and with the approval of the Strategy by the European Council by the end of the Year , will be of particular significance and crucial for the future developments of the Adriatic and Ionian macroregion. Therefore all the ordinary intergovernmental Round Tables of AII during BiH Presidency will be focussed and oriented to contribute to the macroregional process.
The involvment of civil society in the continuation of the process and , even more , in the implementation phase of it , will be encouraged and stimulated , as much as a closer cooperation with National Parliaments as decided in Tirana by the Speakers of Parliaments of AII participating Countries last April.
The XVII Adriatic Ionian Council was held in Brussels last May 13. The high level meeting marked the end of a successful Albanian Chairmanship of the AII and handed it over to Bosnia and Herzegovina which will start acting from the first o June.
In the same occasion the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the eight AII governments praised amb. Pigliapoco for the work done in the past three years at the head of the AII-Permanent Secretariat and renew his mandate for further three years .
The Declaration of the XVII Adriatic Ionian Council is enclosed.
The "Adriatic and Ionian MacroRegion Youth Game" will take place starting from today in Ancona until Sunday 9 June.
About 1000 young boys and girls (15-16 years old) coming from twenty cities of the 8 AII Countries will compete in 12 different sports.
Beside the competition, the meaning of the initiative is to create a sense of community among the young Adriatic Ionian generation when, at the institutional level, the "EU Strategy for the Adriatic Ionian Region" is becoming a reality entering in its implementation phase from the beginning of 2015.
Click on the following link for more info: http://www.aimyg2014.it/aimyg2014/it/index.html
The Programme of the "Adriatic and Ionian MacroRegion Youth Game" is enclosed.
The XII Conference of Speakers of Parliaments of the AII took place in Tirana from 27th to 28th of April under the Chairmanship of the Speaker of the Parliament of Albania , H.E. Ilir Meta .
After the opening Statement by President Meta , the Prime Minister of Albania , H.E. Edi Rama , took the floor for a welcoming address.
Both Sessions " Driving closer towards E U " and "Promoting sustainable Economic and Social prosperity of the AII Region" could profit from contributions by all participants :
H.E. Milorad Zivkovic, Speaker ( BiH)
H.E. Josip Leko , Speaker ( Croatia )
H.E. Vangelis Vasileios , Speaker ( Greece )
H.E. Suljo Mustafic , Vice Speaker ( Montenegro )
H.E. Mrs. Polanca Komar , Vice Speaker ( Slovenia )
Sen. Aldo Di Biagio ( Italy ) , representing the Speaker of the Italian Senate
The Speaker of the Parliament of the Republic of Serbia , Ms. Maja Gojkovic , recently appointed and engaged in institutional activities , sent a Message to colleagues , which was read by President Meta.
At the end of the Conference a " Joint Statement " was adopted deciding , inter alia, " to set up ad hoc Parliamentary Representations to follow the work of the AII and the progress of EUSAIR in close contact with the Permanent Secretariat " and calling upon the future Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina " to convene a meeting of the ad hoc Parliamentary Representatives to discuss on future concrete steps of the working agenda".