AGREEMENT BETWEEN GENOA AND BILBAO IN THE FRAMEWORK "AMRIE"

The relationships between Genoa and Bilbao are becoming more intense on the occasion of the co-operation between Mediterranean and Atlantic within the European Community actions.

After the first contacts occurred the last fall, tomorrow a delegation representing the institutions and the shipping economic interests of the Province of Bizkaia (Bilbao) will be in Genoa to make new agreements. Bilbao is ready to closely cooperate with the office of the Alliance of Maritime Regional Interests in Europe (AMRIE) of Genoa, which represents an antenna in the Mediterranean area for the whole sector. Furthermore, Bilbao is drawing toward the constitution of a Forum Maritime Information Society (Forum MarIS), a reference point of the European Community Programme MarIS for the Atlantic, whereas Genoa is for the Mediterranean, Helsinki for the Baltic and Bremen for the North Sea.

The co-operation between Genoa and Bilbao aims at developing a network among the four European MarIS, which interact with other initiatives started in North America and Japan, within the framework programme of the G7.

The European Community Programme MarIS, devoted to the utilisation of the maritime resources (included the information systems resources of the maritime sector), is organised into 4 Directorates: Martrans (logistic and EDI), Safemar (navigation security), Marvel (building of safe ships) and Marsource (environmental protection).

The visit of the Bilbao delegation taking place tomorrow in Genoa foresees a meeting at 15:00 at Villa Rosazza (piazza Dinegro, 3), the headquarter of AMRIE Genoa Office, with the participation of the Vice-president and Councillor Responsible of the Ports of the Ligurian Region and co-ordinator of the Genoese AMRIE, Graziano Mazzarello, Councillor Responsible for the Province of Genoa Rosa Maria D'Acqui co-ordinator of the Forum MarIS. The Councillor Responsible Alessandro Guala, the President of the Port Authority Giuliano Gallanti and the President of the Chamber of Commerce Antonio Pellizzetti will also attend the meeting.

The Spanish delegation will be made up, among the others, of: the Councillor Responsible for the Economic Promotion and the Employment of the Administration of Province of Bizkaia, Pedro Hernandez, the President of the Port Authority of Bilbao J.M. Corres, the General Manager of the Community of the Port of Bilbao J. Huarte-Mendicoa, the General Manager of the AESA shipyards J. Echevarria, the General Secretary of the maritime industries J. Lopez de la Calle and the President of the Association of the Industrial Union J.M. Vasquez.

After the 15:00-meeting between the two delegations, the meeting will be extended to the promoters of the two initiatives AMRIE and MarIS and to the representatives of the Genoese economic categories.