On June 21st,2011 the member of
our Board dr. Heinrich Schuster celebrated his 70th birthday .
For his longterm and sucessful cooperation with our organisation we awarded him at this occasion

What is connecting you with the Alps-Adriatic Centre for Cross-border Co-operation, you are its member since years?

Veiter: I am connected with the Centre due to the fact that it is my continuous personal challenge to
improve the communication among Carinthia, Slovenia and Italy, furthermore I like to participate in creating the consensus between the majority German population and the Slovenian minority in Carinthia. Professionally I have been travelling for more that 25 years over the Alps-Adriatic region
and I am also personally interested in contacts in Slovenia and Italy, especially from the point of view of the reestablishment of the historical sentiments.

Carinthia generally has deficits in (regional) cross border cooperation, where do you see the possibilities for improvement and intensification ot this cooperation?

Veiter: I see the potential in the development of the mutual projects on the EU level, however also on lower levels, the AACC is endeavoring since years to establish contacts , especially with Slovenia.
Some years ago I was representing a Center for occupational medicine and saftey technics, I was looking for connections, here mr.Warasch was very helpful. In this moment projects , supported by EU , are going on and I wish sincerely that we can participate together in good projects, in bilateral interest.

As a Mayor of the municipality Feld am See, do you maybe have some definite plans or ideas, how to cooperate with the Alps-Adriatic Centre in one or two projects?

Veiter: Initially my contact with the Alps-Adriatic Centre had no connection with the municipality Feld am See. Now I can imagine quite well that the Centre and our municipality could cooperate in the European projects. In this moment we are trying to work intensively on the project called „ECOA“, here our partner is the municipality Bad Kleinkirchheim, however I would appreciate if we obtain projects in the future , where our municipality would present a part of an integral project scheme. (m.š)

First we would like to congratulate you for your election for the President of the Municipalities Association of Carinthia.
This Association was in the past, considering the cross border cooperation with Slovenia, not very active. As the new president,how do you see the cooperation with Slovenian municipalities in the future ( ideas, initiatives, plans)?

Vouk: At the beginning I would like to thank you for the congratulation!
Carinthia is a land at the meeting point of the three cultures in the heart of Europe. With the entry of Slovenia to the EU and to Schengen the chances of both countries have increased significantly. The meaning of our region as an economic and cultural space is growing in this time of globalisation.
Namely, the regions are characterising themselves through strong social identification with formed tradition and culture.
But first of all, the positive cultural, economic nad social development in our Alps- Adriatic region has established an atmosphere of confidence in the country. It will be possible to use all possibilities which are offered to us by the European peace process.
Therefore I will initiate - also as the President of the Association - the cross border cooperation , in due time I will contact the Municipalities Association of Slovenia and I will discuss the possible cooperation.

What could be the support of the AACC to intensify the cooperation on the international municipality level?

Vouk: The Alps- Adriatic Centre could- through the good position and with the help of its network, formed in the past years ,especially in Slovenia- offer a platform for the intensification of the municipalities partnership and could successfully implement the cross border projects.

Thank you in advance for your cooperation.

Photo: Ferdinand Vouk