Nearly 700 people participated in the launch event of the Cross Boarder Cooperation Programme Italy Albania Montenegro in Bari on 6 March 2017.

The event was coordinated by Puglia Region, as Programme Managing Authority, and attended by important speaker such as Loredana Capone (Puglia Region), Nicola Favia (Italian Presidency of the Council of Ministers – Department of Cohesion Policy), Klajda Gjosha (Albanian Minister of European Integration), Miodrag Raceta (Montenegrin Ministry of European Affairs), Jean-Pierre Halkin (European Commission – DG for Regional and Urban Policy), Clara Rose (Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation) and Paolo Di Laura-Frattura, President of Molise Region and former president of the Adriatic Ionian Euroregion.

This Programme represents a good occasion to develop joint projects among Albanian and Montenegrin members of the Euroregion, as well as Molise and Puglia Region, the two Italian regions of the programme area.  

The Programme, co-funded by the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA), has a budget of over 92 million Euros, out of which 25 million euros are allocated on the first Call for Project Proposals, which will be published in March 2017. The Programme has been established with the intent of giving more impetus to cooperation in the lower Adriatic sea, fostering smart, inclusive and sustainable development. Italy participates with two regions: Puglia and Molise; Albania and Montenegro participate with the entire territory.