ITALBALK sub-project launched in Belgrade
For years the cooperation among the Balkan countries and the
Italian government, represented by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
and Ministry of Economic Development, has drawn its strength from
the firm interest shown by some numerous Italian regional
authorities.
In 2009 an ambitious integrated project ITALMED - ITALBANK was
launched, thanks to the Italian financial governmental
Support programme to regional cooperation. The
main aim was to support the transport and logistics integration
among Italy and Southern Mediterranean countries and between Italy
and the Balkans. Within this project, a sub-project - ITALBALK was
developed, focusing on the implementation of connections to
Albania, Serbia and Montenegro, allowing commercial flows along the
axis Italy -Balkans, in quantitative, qualitative and competitive
terms.
The key goal is to facilitate
- the implementation level of economic integration of the Italian
production system with the Balkan countries, by increasing
commercial exchanges and direct investments of Italian
companies,
- the support of the Italy's role as a logistic platform in the
countries along the Balkan East-West corridors, and
- the capacity improvement of Italian regions in managing
international cooperation programmes in transport and logistics, as
well as regional initiatives aimed at supporting entrepreneurship
in the field of services abroad.
On 15th and 16th April 2010, in
Belgrade the kick-off meeting of the ITALBALK sub-project was held.
The project regards the infrastructure axis connecting the port of
Bar with Belgrade/Central Serbia and beyond (Romania and Hungary).
The meeting saw the participation of a large partnership composed
by some national and local institutions and economic actors coming
from Italy, Serbia and Montenegro. Besides the Campania Region,
which acts as the lead partner, also the regional authorities
of Emilia Romagna, Veneto, Friuli Venezia Giulia, Puglia, Calabria
and Sicily are involved in the project activities, each supported
by its regional technical agency. Some regions have a long
established traditional relationships with Serbia and Montenegro
(i. e. Friuli Venezia Giulia and Puglia), whereas some others are
highly interested in deepening their relations with this
South-Eastern European area.
More specifically, the projects activities are focused on the
implementation of intermodal connections and on the know-how
transfer, necessary for the realization of corridors' links for
freight transport and logistics platforms. In this sense, relevant
factors are to facilitate the dialogue between enterprises and
transport operators from Italy, Serbia and Montenegro, as well as
to identify and clarify problems concerning logistics and freight
transport. Moreover, the same should ease the development of
structures, allowing Italian entrepreneurs to get familiar with the
Serbian economic milieu, in terms of logistic centers and services
offer as an assumption for further investments.
The know-how' exchange on logistics platforms, freight villages
(interports) and intermodal services are to be initially developed
among the Italian centers of Nola and Bologna, and Pirot, Apatin
and Smederevo in Serbia. The intention is to take this opportunity
to subsequently include other similar logistic centers. A specific
role should be played by the Belgrade river port, as a strategic
logistic platform facilitating connections and freight flows along
the land corridor of Bar/Belgrade and towards Romania and Hungary
via Danube.
Another project objective is to extend the foreseen topics not
only to Serbian and Montenegrin public, but also to subjects
interested in logistics development potential in borderland
countries, involving carriers companies and other regional ports
from Romania and Bulgaria.
On the occasion of the ITALBALK kick off meeting, Mr. Walter
Goruppi, a representative of INFORMEST (partner responsible for
SEETAC's communication) illustrated the main features of the
project SEETAC, together with its current state of the art and the
forthcoming activities. He concluded by stressing the possibility
of synergies between the two projects in the near future.