A new beginning on a faster way to the EU

Trieste, Italy – “I would like to congratulate Serbia on a victory of the democratic option in very important parliamentary elections. This is a new beginning for Serbia and we are encouraging its rapid access to the EU”, has said Franz Voves, Governor of the Austrian state of Styria, the lead partner in the European MATRIOSCA project, at the opening of the first political conference of that important project. As it has been indicated at the conference, Vojvodina, being a European region, has been stimulated to continue cooperation with the regions of the EU rapidly, since regions are the future of Europe and every country should understand the importance of regionalization. “Infrastructure and other development projects on the territory of Vojvodina, as well as more rapid development of rural and urban areas are the priorities of the provincial administration in the following period. MATRIOSCA is a project uniting Romance, Germanic and Slavic cultures and that richness of multiculturalism is special potential for further strengthening of cooperation. Vojvodina, reflecting all the cultural diversity, wants to use that potential in the best manner possible. One of the ways is lobbying for joint projects in Brussels, as well as joint appearance on third markets”, said Predrag Novikov, Director of the Office for European Affairs. On behalf of the Executive Council of the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina, the participants in the conference were Dr. Gabor Lodi, Vice-president of the Executive Council, heading the delegation, Predrag Novikov, Director of the Office for European Affairs, Siniša Lazić, Provincial Secretary of Economy, and Predrag Grgić, Secretary for International and Regional Cooperation. To serve as a reminder that of the EU member states, the lead partner of MATRIOSCA is the Austrian state of Styria and the participants are Carinthia and Burgenland from Austria, Friuli-Venezia Giulia and Veneto from Italy, Slovenia, Baranya, Győr-Moson-Sopron, Somogy, Tolna, Vas and Zala from Hungary, Koprivnica – Križevci, Varaždin and Istra from Croatia and our province Vojvodina, on behalf of Serbia. The joint conclusion of the conference was that establishing such relations led to the formation of a basis for greater competitiveness and higher rate of employment, as preconditions for improving everyday life and it was announced that the projects in the Alpe – Adria – Pannonia region, with a population of 17 million people, would be finished in the following 10 months. The following political conference of the European MATRIOSCA project would be held in Graz at the beginning of autumn.