Very close to Easter holidays, on March 21, 2024, a delegation comprised of representatives of the EEA and Norway Grants Regional and Cultural Programme, alongside representatives from the Norwegian Embassy in Riga, KS International Projects, Kulturdirektoratettoratet EEA and Norway Grants, and officials from the Ropaži municipality, converged in Mucenieki, Ropaži, marking a pivotal moment in collaborative efforts to enhance good governance, regional development, and cultural exchange.
The day began with a tour of the newly reconstructed Mucenieki Sports Stadium and the Ropažu Municipality Asylum Seeker Accommodation Center “Mucenieki”. Participants had a possibility to see project results, including initiatives supported by the Elverum municipality in Norway. The project promoter reported that more people than expected participated in the sports and cultural activities, contributing to community integration. Both local residents and asylum seekers gave positive feedback of achieved results.
Ainārs Vaičulens, Deputy Chairman of the Ropaži municipality, shared success stories from the municipality’s implemented projects and discussing future plans.
The visit ended with an exploration of the historic medieval castle ruins in Ropaži, underscoring the interesting cultural heritage embedded within the region where our donor programme partners had possibility to feel the breath of the Middle Ages by wearing medieval costumes and board games of that time.
Next day, on March 22, the 12th Cooperation Committee meeting convened in Mālpils, fostering constructive dialogues surrounding the advancement of programme implementation. Discussions centred on the measured progress achieved thus far and provided insights into the latest developments pertaining to the timely completion of projects by April’s end. Programme Operator highlighted active communication with project promoters and told about project achievements and activities in various regions. Key accomplishments included entrepreneurship support, training seminars, and initiatives to promote good governance principles.
While the Ministry of Culture, the partner of the programme, presented the progress of the projects of the open call, the last three projects are still in progress and are expected to conclude by the end of April 2024.
At the end of the meeting, the successful bilateral cooperation was discussed, noting that all previously planned and approved initiatives from the bilateral cooperation fund have been successfully implemented. Additionally, the Cooperation Committee approved a new bilateral initiative proposal. Furthermore, the concept of the LV-LOCALDEV and LV-CLIMATE joint closing event was discussed, scheduled for September 2024, aiming to creatively showcase the results achieved by the programs through videos and other means.
Meetings of the programme Cooperation Committee confirm the commitment of all involved parties to promote sustainable development and cultural exchange through synergistic partnerships and shared visions.
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