ISONZO-SOČA Presidents Pahor and Mattarella visited our cyclebridge over the Isonzo/Soča river

As part of the official visit of the President of the Republic of Slovenia and the President of the Italian Republic to Nova Gorica and Gorizia, which will be, under the Go!Borderless motto "two Gorizias, one city" the European capital of culture in 2025, the two presidents also made a stop at the Kayak Center in Solkan/Salcano, where they visited the cycle and pedestrian walkway on the Isonzo/Soča river, built by the EGTC GO as part of the Interreg Italia-Slovenija 2014-2020 Program.

The President of the EGTC GO Paolo Petiziol officially presented the cyclebridge project to the presidents:

Dear President Borut Pahor,
Dear President Sergio Mattarella,
All Authorities and Guests,

We stand here today in a particular part of Europe, culturally and historically united but linguistically diverse. The Isonzo, Vipacco, Monte Sabotino, Brda-Collio concretely represent the beauty of our territory. A space that is a mix of Romanesque, Slavic and Germanic influences. A space that has been able to shatter every inside border. The birth of the EGTC is therefore connatural to the spirit of our people and was a decisive moment towards a new quality of coexistence and development of this territory. Ten years ago, the founders, with a truly European spirit and strong conviction, established this association, thus institutionalizing a deeply felt cross-border cooperation. Three municipalities from two countries participate in the EGTC. This act has given substance to what, before the EGTC, their administrations and their respective populations started with events, celebrations or commemorations that are the fruit of a common cultural or religious tradition. The constitution of the EGTC has institutionalized this spontaneous and natural cooperation giving it new impetus with innovative and effective initiatives in order to reduce the residual obstacles to the daily life of our cross-border life. During the 10 years of our existence, we have managed to obtain important European funds, build infrastructure projects such as this cyclebridge, the recreational park in Šempeter, the community center for social services in Nova Gorica, and in Gorizia, we are building a network of 12 km of cycle links between the three cities and we are also putting up a cross-border healthcare system, perhaps the only case in Europe. It is our will to make investments that have lasting value in the territory, with the constant aim of improving the quality of life of our populations, such as, for example, this pedestrian and cycle network, certainly of considerable importance for citizens of all three municipalities, which will be able to walk or play safely on a network of over 40 kilometres of cross-border trails. This will also allow for an increase of that cultured and aware tourism that has always been a characteristic of this territory.

We are also building joint infrastructures and services for cross-border healthcare, with the refurbishment of the hospital in Šempeter in Slovenia and the implementation of prenatal and postpartum infrastructures in Gorizia, Italy. It is not a question of duplication, but of the complementarity of a network of efficient and quality public health services.

All these positive experiences have animated and encouraged us to undertake further challenges. The most important is the joint candidacy for European Capital of Culture 2025, where, all together with the coordination of the EGTC GO, we managed to win a difficult challenge, impossible for many.
On this important occasion, I would like to thank all those who have supported us and believed in us over the years. Our success is based on the extraordinary effort and enthusiasm of individuals, as well as on the support of key institutions, from the founding municipalities to the Autonomous Region of FVG, from the Italy - Slovenia Interreg program, to the Republic of Slovenia and the European Union.
Dear Presidents, your presence here today honours all our long work, our communities and all our respective institutions. We are deeply grateful to you.