This city on the bank of the most European river the Danube is much talked about lately. It is clean and neat, its population – cordial and hospitable. Nature is amazingly beautiful, its history is rich. The public-spirited and European thinking of Silistra people made the city an attractive place not only for living but also for tourism.

In the city hall of Silistra teams of young and ambitious people successfully develop and implement various European and other programs. Today, when the idea of Europe of the regions is so strong, Silistra is a very good example of regional cooperation. Its relations with the Romanian city of Slobozia in the field of business investments and culture are remarkable. This is why we asked the Mayor of Silistra, who is also Chairman of the Council for Euro-region “Danube East”, Eng. Ivo Andonov to tell us about them and about the future plans and hopes.

The relations of Silistra with the Romanian town Slobozia (administrative centre of district Ialomita) date from many years. Now they passed into a new, more dynamic and fruitful phase after the fraternizing of the two cities in the beginning of this century. The exchange of official visits grew into lively contacts in the area of administrative services, the development of civil society, purposeful business contacts between businessmen.

Compared to Silistra, which will celebrate its 1900 anniversary in 2006, Slobozia is a young town and regional centre. The two towns are united by the desire of their leaderships and the ordinary people to secure untroubled and better life for their towns, homes and children, by the desire to live and work together in the dynamics of the common Euro-integration process. In the person of my colleague Gabi Ionascu, who is mayor of Slobozia for the second mandate, I found a hearty friend and highly responsible partner, who has special contribution to the active development of the cooperation between the two regions. He is open for new ideas and modern practices in the municipal self-government.

For the first time in the end of last year working groups – experts from the municipal administration and non-governmental organizations – came into direct contact in order to exchange experience and synchronize their work on civil services and especially on joint projects. Of great help was the fact that Silistra and Slobozia are associated members of Euro-region “Danube East”, where along with the other partners they have to effectively resolve problems of the regional trans-border cooperation.

The cultural life, the cultural child and youth exchange is manifold and dynamic. The joint participations in art exhibitions, competitions, concerts on the occasion of official holidays and events are at least 5-6 a year. The meetings of high clerics from Dorostol Eparchy and the Episcopate of Slobozia and Kalaras became traditional. At the opening of the grandiose cathedral in Slobozia in the beginning of this year, scores of Bulgarian clergymen, representatives of the administration, non-governmental organizations and many fellow citizens were present. This official act became popular also because the relics of St. Dasius (Roman soldier, beheaded for preaching Christianity) were exhibited in the Orthodox temple of Slobozia. They were returned to Silistra only a couple of moths ago by Pope John Paul II after 14 centuries of wandering around the world.

This year several business delegations accomplished meetings for signing agreements for joint work or for making specific transactions. Active negotiations are held for securing inert materials from the region of Silistra for the construction of the 38 km road-bed to Slobozia, connecting the twinned town with the newly built highway Bucharest-Constanta. Our businessmen signed a contract for opening agencies of a prospering company from the town of Urziceni, Ialomita district, in Bulgaria. Many companies from the two cities regularly participate in the traditional trade exhibitions.

We are privileged to work with our colleagues and friends from Slobozia for the development of Euro-region “Danube East” (its population surpasses 2 million). The region was established in the end of the year 2001 with the partnership of Dobrich Municipality, the Association for Trans-border Cooperation and development “Danube Dobrudja”, the Romanian districts Constanta and Kalaras. This year big Bulgarian municipalities from Razgrad and Targovishte districts, NGOs and large companies joined it. We already accomplished some of our common ideas but most of them are still to be accomplished in future. Under the PHARE Trans-border Cooperation program we got funds for the project of issuing our own media – “Danube East”, which is the first of its kind bilingual newspaper. We actively work with the Romanians on the implementation of a big project – the construction of the checkpoint and ferryboat complex “Silistra-Kalaras”. By starting the project only after several months we will develop even more dynamic cooperation in all areas. Together with Slobozia, we have the intention to apply with big trans-border projects for building the infrastructure, in the area of energetics, water economy, agriculture, ecology and tourism. Several joint “mirror” projects are in a process of preparation: for improving the administrative service in line with the European standards, for making eco and cycle routes, for cultural and youth activities. The municipal experts on international programs, the Association of Trans-border Cooperation and Development “Danube Dobrudja”, Silistra, and the Association of Non-Governmental Organizations, Slobozia, are leading in these projects.

Silistra and Slobozia, in cooperation with the remaining Bulgarian and Romanian Danube districts, are doing their best to fulfill the priority tasks of Euro-region “Danube East”: application before international programs for financing joint projects, exchange of experience, sharing and applying leading European practices in the area of education, science, tourism and ecology, culture, sport.

Within the framework of the Days of Silistra (September 6-15), on September 14th – the Day of the Holy Cross, which is the official holiday of the town – the international meeting “Bridges to the Future” was carried out. In it, representatives from Russia, Romania, Greece, Turkey and the Ukraine participated. At this meeting, the Romanian-Bulgarian experience for developing trans-border cooperation in the zone of Euro-region “Danube East” was shared. The guests from the other countries were sincerely impressed by the real dimensions of what we succeeded to do as partners. However, we do realize that we are only in the beginning of a longstanding and mutually beneficial practice, which should significantly change the life of the people on the two banks of the Danube. We are also convinced that Silistra and Slobozia will continue to be active partners and leading regions in their Euro-zone even after the accession of Romania and Bulgaria to the European Union in 2007.