Cooperating for better ’Med’ Representatives
Güncelleme Tarihi:
Doğan News Agency
Oluşturulma Tarihi: Mart 02, 2009 00:00
MUĞLA - Representatives from Croatia, Italy, Lebanon, Macedonia, Morocco and Turkey meet in Bodrum under the auspices of the Mediterranean Local Administration Partnership Program, or PAMLED, to determine a list of short-term projects that the group will work on until November. Problems faced cannot be solved locally, says the head of the group
Environmental awareness, cultural heritage and archaeological tourism will be the focus of a pan-Mediterranean group this year, local administrators from six countries decided after three days of meetings in the Bodrum district of Muğla.
Representatives from Croatia, Italy, Lebanon, Macedonia, Morocco and Turkey met under the auspices of the Mediterranean Local Administration Partnership Program, or PAMLED, to determine a list of short-term projects that the group will work on until November.
The projects will be supported by EU funds. "We came up with good plans against population increase, [to improve] service quality in tourism and living [and on] restorations of ancient towns and the future of tourism spots," said Fabana Fiarro, chair of the PAMLED rotating presidency.
"During the three days, we developed projects on sustainable development, water management and communications between locals and tourist managers to improve the tourism potential in our towns."
Farro added that the three main projects are going to be presented to the EU until November, in order to obtain economic funding. They will be also sent to the ministries of culture and tourism in the participating countries.
Speaking at the meetings' closing ceremony, Bodrum Mayor Mazlum Ağan said that the PAMLED meetings were crucial to help the tourism towns solve their problems.
"The problems in the Aegean and Mediterranean holiday spots cannot be solved without cooperation," said Ağan, giving his own town as an example. "We would need at least $500 million to solve the Bodrum peninsula's every problem. We cannot solve them with the budgets of local administrations."
"Bodrum brings in $2 billion of income via tourism every year, but it cannot get 1 percent of that amount from the government to be used in investments. Bodrum and other tourism towns will act together," Ağan added, "With the projects prepared here, Bodrum will have a serious chance to be funded by the EU. With its 5,000-year history, Bodrum's nature, culture and history should be handled with better care. We will do the best we can to preserve those assets and pass them on to the next generation."
Following the meetings, participants toured Bodrum, visiting the Bodrum Underwater Archaeology Museum, the Antic Theater and the Myndos Gate.
Representatives from Croatia, Italy, Lebanon, Macedonia, Morocco and Turkey met under the auspices of the Mediterranean Local Administration Partnership Program, or PAMLED, to determine a list of short-term projects that the group will work on until November.
The projects will be supported by EU funds. "We came up with good plans against population increase, [to improve] service quality in tourism and living [and on] restorations of ancient towns and the future of tourism spots," said Fabana Fiarro, chair of the PAMLED rotating presidency.
"During the three days, we developed projects on sustainable development, water management and communications between locals and tourist managers to improve the tourism potential in our towns."
Farro added that the three main projects are going to be presented to the EU until November, in order to obtain economic funding. They will be also sent to the ministries of culture and tourism in the participating countries.
Speaking at the meetings' closing ceremony, Bodrum Mayor Mazlum Ağan said that the PAMLED meetings were crucial to help the tourism towns solve their problems.
"The problems in the Aegean and Mediterranean holiday spots cannot be solved without cooperation," said Ağan, giving his own town as an example. "We would need at least $500 million to solve the Bodrum peninsula's every problem. We cannot solve them with the budgets of local administrations."
"Bodrum brings in $2 billion of income via tourism every year, but it cannot get 1 percent of that amount from the government to be used in investments. Bodrum and other tourism towns will act together," Ağan added, "With the projects prepared here, Bodrum will have a serious chance to be funded by the EU. With its 5,000-year history, Bodrum's nature, culture and history should be handled with better care. We will do the best we can to preserve those assets and pass them on to the next generation."
Following the meetings, participants toured Bodrum, visiting the Bodrum Underwater Archaeology Museum, the Antic Theater and the Myndos Gate.