European cooperation day: sharing borders, growing closer!

Narva City Government (Estonia) in cooperation with the Administration of MF «City Ivangorod» (Russian Federation) is implementing joint activities in the framework of European Cooperation Day www.ecday.eu, which will be celebrated all over Europe for the first time and taking place in the neighbouring countries on 21 of September 2012. More that 100 public events will take place during the week of 17-23 September all over Europe in order to support cooperation and development of friendly relations.

The main objective under the slogan “Sharing borders, growing closer” is to demonstrate the achievements of the European cooperation projects. It will give an opportunity to evaluate improvements, which were achieved thanks to the local cooperation projects in all aspects of daily life, for example, creation of work places, improving the quality of medical care, environmental protection as well as tourism, transport and energy development.

Narva and Ivangorod are border towns, which actively cooperate in implementing of mutual infrastructure and tourism development projects as well as projects aiming at preserving cultural and historical heritage of both cities. There are three projects united by a common objective in the sphere of tourism, which are under development nowadays. During project called «Unique Estonian-Russian fortresses ensemble development as a single tourist product» reconstruction of the Narva Castle Park as well as construction of the access road to Ivangorod fortress will be made.

Project „Development of historical riverside protection area in Narva/Estonia and Ivangorod/Russia II stage” aims at the reconstruction of the upper level of Dark Garden Park in Narva and construction of the part of the river promenade located to the north of the fortress in Ivangorod which thematically was meant for Fisher market.

Large-scale project „Development of the unique Narva-Ivangorod trans-border fortresses ensemble as a single cultural and tourist object” will be concentrated on the reconstruction of Victoria bastion in Narva and the Small Powder Granary in Ivangorod and opening them for visitors.

The common goal of these projects is an integrated development of mutual resources and cultural values (castle ensemble and Narva river zone), the main tourist attractions of a cross-border region, which in its turn will provide an economic growth along with competitiveness of Narva and Ivangorod.

All three projects have been approved by the Estonia-Latvia-Russia cross-border cooperation Programme within European Neighbourhood and Partnership instrument 2007-2013. The overarching strategic objective of the Estonia-Latvia-Russia cross-border cooperation Programme within European Neighbourhood and Partnership instrument 2007-2013 is to promote joint development activities for the improvement of the region’s competitiveness by utilising its potential and beneficial location in the cross roads between the EU and Russian Federation. The Programme website: www.estlatrus.eu.

Additional information can also be found on the web-site www.forttour.net

In the framework of European Cooperation Day different events will take place in Narva-Ivangorod cross-border area. On 15 August Narva City Government (Estonia) in cooperation with the Administration of MF «City Ivangorod» (Russian Federation) has announced an international drawing competition for children called «Narva and Ivangorod: united by border».

The regulations are available on the website http://narva.ee/ee/linnakodanikule/uudised/page:4603

On 21 September an official opening will start with a press conference where representatives of mass media and cross-border cooperation projects’ managers will gather in Narva castle at 11.00 (Estonian time). The winners of the drawing competition will be awarded with memorable gifts also in Narva castle. An agenda of a European Cooperation Day includes mutual simultaneous events: paper ship floating along the Narva River and launch of balloons. In the evening an installation called “Linking Fires” will be launched in the framework of the project „Complex reconstruction border crossing points in Ivangorod and in Narva” led by the Estonian Ministry of the Interior. These activities will take place simultaneously on both sides of the Narva River in order to promote the development of friendly relations between Russia and

Estonia, Narva and Ivangorod which share common border, long-lasting historical links, and mutual interests in varied fields.

Additional information:

Anne Veevo
Department for City Development and Economy
Tel. +372 35 99080
anne.veevo@narva.ee