The 1st Joint Conference of the Fora of the Adriatic and Ionian Chambers of Commerce, Cities and Universities: “ROOTS and PATHS - Past, Present and Future for the Adriatic-Ionian Region” took place from the 16th until the 18th of October in Split (Croatia) in the framework of the AI-NURECC initiative. It aims to represent an important step forward in building and consolidating the relationships between civil society, local, regional, national and European institutions.

The Conference brought together more than 120 Institutions from the 3 civil society networks in the Adriatic-Ionian Region – Chambers of Commerce, Cities and Universities – with the aim of strengthening connectivity networks and creating greater prosperity in the Region, through work on areas of mutual interest identified in the EU Strategy for the Adriatic and Ionian Region (EUSAIR).

Large participation was also registered at the Thematic Workgroups, held in the afternoon of the second day: delegates of economic bodies, universities and municipal administrations were divided into the seven Workgroups on Blue Growth, Connecting the Region, Environmental Quality and Agriculture, Sustainable Tourism, in line with the EUSAIR pillars, in addition with Women’s Entrepreneurship , Social Challenges and Economic Analysis, consistent with the cross-cutting priorities of the Strategy.

The Adriatic-Ionian Initiative Permanent Secretariat, given the role of “Advocate of Civil Society” the AII has assumed since the endorsement of the EUSAIR Strategy, attended the event.
Ambassador Pigliapoco, Senior Advisor of the AII-PS, after thanking for the invitation on the side of the AII Montenegrin Chairmanship, expressed his appreciation for the full commitment of AII Chambers of Commerce, Cities and Universities to play a crucial role in the implementation of the EUSAIR Strategy. He further stressed the AII role as “Advocate of Civil Society Organizations” within the macroregional process, especially by opening Round Tables to the participation of stakeholders and civil society as well as by coordinating and cooperating with the three Fora (Cities, Chambers, Universities) in line with the subsidiarity principle, which is at the core of the EUSAIR. He also assured that the Permanent Secretariat will continue to be pivotal in its traditional connecting role between Governments, regional actors and civil society Fora and networks that have been, up to today, essential in the preparation and implementation phase of the macroregional mechanism and will continue to be the same all throughout the year of the Montenegrin Chairmanship.

For more information regarding the Conference, please check the following website: http://www.forumaic.org/1st-joint-conference-forum-of-the-adriatic-and-ionian-chambers-of-commerce-cities-and-universities-split-16-18-10-2018-report/?lang=en