Vojvodina European Office in Brussels: Concretization of cooperation with Lombardy and official visit of the highest regional representatives
The Vojvodina European Office in Brussels intensified the relations with the representatives of the Italian region of Lombardy at the beginning of the year, and the most concrete step towards cooperation in several areas is the organised two-day visit of Igor Mirović, President of the Provincial Government. On 1st December, the President of the Provincial Government had a meeting with Robert Maroni, President of the Lombardy region in Milan, with whom he discussed the strengthening and intensification of regional cooperation in the fields of economy, health, culture and education. This visit has marked the achievement of the cooperation between the two Brussels offices.
The delegation, headed by President Mirović, made an agreement to sign a memorandum of cooperation between the AP Vojvodina and the Lombardy region, which was planned to take place during the return visit in 2018.
The parties agreed that there was room to improve and define common interests, cooperation between development agencies and entrepreneurship associations, as well as institutional cooperation. Nikola Žeželj, Director of the Vojvodina Development Agency, also attended the meeting and presented the investment potentials of the province and the opportunities for cooperation between the Vojvodina Development Agency and the Italian institutions and businessmen.
The largest number of Italian companies in Vojvodina is from Lombardy. They have invested over EUR 110 million and have been employing almost a thousand workers. The Italian investments in AP Vojvodina amount to more than EUR 800 million and take the third place in the province in terms of investments.
During its stay in Milan, the delegation of the Provincial Government paid a visit to the Padano Science and Technology Park (PTP) in Lodi to determine the prospects of cooperation with the future Science and Technology Park in Novi Sad, whose founder was the Provincial Government. The return visit of the PTP representatives was agreed in the final phase of the construction of the park in Novi Sad to transfer best practice from that Italian region.
During the two-day visit to Milan, Mirović also had a working meeting with Marco Zanni MEP. It was agreed to organize an investment conference in Italy, followed by a visit of interested Italian companies to AP Vojvodina.
