Launching event of Macedonia-Greece Cross-Border Cooperation program 2007-2013Skopje, 15 July 2010 (MIA) - The launching event of Cross-Border Cooperation program 2007-2013 between Macedonia and Greece, funded by the European Union's financial instrument for pre-accession assistance (IPA) and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) was held in Thessaloniki on Thursday, EU Delegation to Skopje said in a press release.
The global objective of the program is to enhance convergence in the border area by promoting sustainable local development. Projects will be funded that stimulate co-operation among economic actors and stakeholders through common approaches for the promotion of entrepreneurship, the development of local human resources, the development of sustainable tourism and the protection of public health. The program will also devote resources to common actions of actors on both sides of the border for the protection and promotion of the environmental resources and the natural and cultural potential.
The eligible area of the Programme consists of the Prefectures of Florina, Pella, Kilkis, Serres and Thessaloniki in Greece and the Planning Regions of Pelagonija, South-West, South-East and Vardar in the Republic of Macedonia.
The European Union has allocated a total amount of EUR 9.135.735 for the first three years of this programme, reads the press release.
In the meantime, the Bulgarian Government has approved the project on concluding a memorandum of understanding between the governments of Macedonia and Bulgaria within the IPA Cross-Border Cooperation program.
Minister for Regional Development and Public Works has been authorized to implement negotiations and sign the memo on behalf of the Bulgarian government, followed by its ratification.
Macedonia-Bulgaria Cross-Border Cooperation program was approved by the European Commission in 2007. Besides EU funds, the program will be supported by means allocated from the countries' budgets.
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