Dear UBC Friends,
UBC
celebrated its tenth anniversary last year, and we
are now entering our second decade. I amvery proud
to lead UBC into a very promising future for our region.
UBC will continue and strengthen its efforts to be
a spokesman for the members and to be a meeting place
for city authorities from all over the Baltic Sea
Region. UBC will also continue to play an important
role and I am certain that the other actors in our
region and in Europe will appreciate UBC as a co-operation
partner in many important fields.
I attended
the first important meeting as UBC President during
the CBSS Ministerial meeting in Svetlogorsk 5-6 March
2002. I had the opportunity to meet and present UBC
to the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Baltic Sea
Region Countries. I was very well received and it
was obvious that UBC is regarded as an important organisation.
The UBC delegation,
headed by me, will pay a visit to Brussels to strengthen
the ties with the Committee of Regions. Ameeting with
Eurocities political leadership is also on the agenda.
The aim is to present and promote UBC as an important
political actor in our region, and also present some
of the problems that should be treated at a European
level. One important topic will of course be the role
of local authorities in the process of the EU enlargement,
but also to promote Baltic Sea Region issues that
are relevant for UBC members.
UBC will participate
in a large conference in Brussels in early July, arranged
by the Danish local and regional authority offices
in Brussels. The meeting is a part of the start of
the Danish chairmanship of the European Union. It
will be another interesting occasion to present the
Baltic Sea Region from city perspective.
I am planning
to initiate a Baltic Cities Summit at the end of this
year, hopefully in my city Kolding. The aim is to
define and sharpen our arguments for the future development,
and to discuss further political issues. The invitation
will be sent out immediately after the summer. Politicians
from all UBC member cities will be invited.
But for now
I already would like to wish you a pleasant summer
in the marvellous Baltic Sea Region, with the light
nights and the wonderful nature.
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Per Bodker Andersen
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UBC President
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Kolding, May 2002
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