Vila Real de Santo António (VRSA) and Ayamonte are preparing to create the first Eurocity in the south of the Iberian Peninsula, a metropolis whose central “avenue” will be the River Guadiana.
The two municipalities formalized their intention to move towards this measure at a meeting that took place in Ayamonte, where the Algarve Regional Coordination and Development Commission was also present and will officially constitute the Eurocity next January.
This is a measure that «intends to increase the centrality of these two cities, both located at the edge of both the Algarve region and the Andalusia region».
Eurocities are new models of cooperation that go beyond institutional collaboration and the sum of simple programs and initiatives, adopting a new vision of European citizenship.
«The project aims to combine efforts and resources, through joint planning and management of services and equipment in bordering municipalities. The interventions, aimed at citizens, aim to promote institutional, economic, social, cultural and environmental convergence between the two cities, which start using the border effect as an opportunity for territorial and socio-economic development», explained the Chamber of VRSA.
In a specific example, citizens of each city will enjoy the same conditions as residents in terms of access to public facilities in the neighboring municipality. "For this, the creation of the Eurocitizen card is under study, whose advantages should extend to traditional commerce, through a set of discounts and promotions granted to cardholders", announced the municipality.
The Guadiana River will be the link of the future «Eurocity Ayamonte – Vila Real de Santo António», since it was through this waterway that the relations between the two towns were cemented and created links, of which the Bridge is an example. Guadiana International or crossing via ferry.
"If, until now, being on the periphery of each of the regions could be a sign of some fragility, this new form of aggregation allows us to value the best of each city and gain centrality," he said during the formalization session of the partnership the President of the City Council of VRSA Luís Gomes.
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