Specific steps of future cooperation between Vojvodina and Lombardy agreed in Brussels
The representatives of the Vojvodina European Office in Brussels headed by Srđan Mačkić welcomed the Delegation of Lombardy Region to the EU, led by Raffaele Raja, Director of the Delegation on 10th April 2017. In the course of the friendly yet specific meeting, an agreement on the steps for future cooperation with Lombardy, the most developed Italian region with its capital Milan, was made.
The first step in establishing the basic framework of cooperation in a number of fields will be a presentation on different sectors of AP Vojvodina, which will take place in June at the premises of the Delegation of Lombardy in Brussels. After the presentation, sector representatives from Lombardy will have an opportunity to show their interest, which will allow a series of thematic round table discussions between the sector representatives of AP Vojvodina and Lombardy. The sector round tables are planned for October. This would clearly identify the directions of future cooperation, primarily in the field of economy, agriculture, industry, science, education and tourism.
The agreed cooperation in the field of science, above all in agriculture and IT industry, should be intensified in the future period through the connection of the institutions from AP Vojvodina and the Padano Science and Technology Park from Lombardy. The area in which Park Padano develops their expertise is very similar to the previous work of the BioSense Institute in Novi Sad.
Furthermore, the agreement involves cooperation with one of the largest Industrial Associations in Italy – Assolombarda Confindustria, which will be actively included in the framework of planned sector round table discussions in October. The Brussels meeting also served for a discussion on different regional networks and other initiatives in which stakeholders from Vojvodina could be included.
It is worth mentioning that two days before the Brussels meeting, Ognjen Bjelić, Provincial Secretary for Regional Development, Interregional Cooperation and Local Self-Government had participated in an event in Lombardy during which Vojvodina had presented its economic and investment offer to sixty Italian economists and investors. Lombardy may potentially become one of the most valuable partners of AP Vojvodina, given the similarity and strength of the economy of this Northern Italian Region.
