Labin and the Hungarian town of Baja marked the 20th anniversary of their official partnership with a round table. Discussions focused on the results of cooperation to date and plans for its continuation.
In Baja, a town of some 30,000 inhabitants north of Pécs, and the surrounding villages, around 1,700 Croats live. The mayors of Baja and Labin, Bernadett Bari and Donald Blašković, expressed satisfaction with the results of the partnership so far. They also discussed possibilities for its further development.
Cooperation between the two towns covers economy, tourism, culture, education, sport and health programmes. It is based on the exchange of experiences and connecting their communities. The towns collaborate on student exchanges and sporting encounters.
Among the joint activities, the participation of sculptors from Baja in the Mediterranean Sculpture Symposium in Labin stands out. There is also the linking of music schools and choirs. Labin is presented in Baja through the visual arts programme "Labin Artistic Ascent". The towns also cooperate in linking sports clubs. They exchange experiences in tourism, economy and preventive health programmes.
Labin mayor Blašković awarded a recognition to Angela Šokac Marković, president of the Croatian Self-Government of the City of Baja. She received it for initiating and encouraging the cooperation, which she has supported since the very beginning.
