<PRE>
<TABLE width="90%" border=0 align="center" cellPadding=0 cellSpacing=0>
<TBODY>
<TR>
<TD align=right colSpan=2><a href="http://www.provincia.vicenza.it/index.php" target="_blank">&lt;img src="http://www.provincia.vicenza.it/imgcom/logo.gif" alt=home width=26 border="0" align=left lang=en> &lt;img src="http://www.provincia.vicenza.it/imgcom/interna-provincia-vicenza.gif" alt="Provincia di Vicenza" width=242 height=28 hspace=3 border="0" align="left"></a></TD></TR>
<TR>
  <TD align=right colSpan=2>&nbsp;</TD>
</TR>
<TR>
<TD vAlign=top>
<A href="http://www.provincia.vicenza.it/ente/" target="_blank">Ente</A>&nbsp;| <A href="http://www.provincia.vicenza.it/servizi" target="_blank" class=sel>Servizi</A>&nbsp;| <A href="http://www.provincia.vicenza.it/progetti/" target="_blank">Progetti</A>&nbsp;| <A href="http://www.provincia.vicenza.it/notizie/" target="_blank">Notizie</A>&nbsp;| <A href="http://www.provincia.vicenza.it/albo/" title="Bandi, concorsi, appalti" target="_blank">Albo</A><br>
  <br>
  &nbsp;&lt;img height=57 alt="sportello area balcanica" src="http://www.provincia.vicenza.it/servizi/sportellobalcani/img/sportello.gif" width=214 border=0><br>
  <br>
  <a href="http://www.provincia.vicenza.it/altro/mappa.php" target="_blank">Mappa Sito</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.provincia.vicenza.it/ente/uffici.php" target="_blank">Uffici</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.provincia.vicenza.it/altro/contattaci.php" target="_blank">Contattaci</a>  <div align="left"></div></TD>
<TD vAlign=top width="41%"> 
  <div class="a_cadses">Navigazione di Sportello Area Balcanica</div>
    <ul>
      <li><a href="http://www.provincia.vicenza.it/servizi/sportellobalcani/croazia.php" target="_blank" class="a_cadses" >Croazia</a> </li>
      <li><a href="http://www.provincia.vicenza.it/servizi/sportellobalcani/serbia.php" target="_blank" class="a_cadses">Serbia e Montenegro</a> </li>
      <li><a href="http://www.provincia.vicenza.it/servizi/sportellobalcani/bosnia.php" target="_blank" class="a_cadses">Bosnia ed Herzegovina</a> </li>
      <li><a href="http://www.provincia.vicenza.it/servizi/sportellobalcani/notbalcani.php" target="_blank" class="a_cadses">Notizie Area Balcanica</a> </li>
    </ul>
</TD></TR>
<TR>
<TD colspan="2" vAlign=top>
<br>
<DIV align=center><IMG src='http://www.provincia.vicenza.it/servizi/sportellobalcani/img/mappa.7dvd' border=0></DIV>
<H2>General description of The Balkan Area Office</H2>
<P align="justify">The Balkan Area Office is an organisation which was founded on the basis of an agreement made between the Chamber of Commerce of Vicenza and the Provincial Administration of Vicenza.</P>
<P align="justify">Both of these institutions were involved in the implementation of humanitarian programs during the war in ex-Yugoslavia. In particular, the most significant work was carried out in the various parts of Slavonia which suffered the most during the period of conflict. Between the Province of Vicenza and the Province of Osijek an agreement protocol was stipulated in order to support these activities and, at the end of the war, in order to contribute towards reconstruction.</P>
<P align="justify">At the present time, this Bureau has assumed a new role at two different and complementary levels:</P>
<div align="justify">
  <OL>
    <LI type=a>at the economic level: for the initiation of relations between economic operators (businessman, bankers etc.) of the two countries; 
    <LI type=a>at the cultural level: for the organisation of events aimed at creating opportunities for participants from both areas. </LI>
  </OL>
</div><P align="justify">In the first case, we organize, and provide:</P>
<div align="justify">
  <OL>
    <LI>information and consultancy for entrepreneurs from Vicenza, and institutions that wish to operate in the area of the former Yugoslavia, and vice versa; 
    <LI>economic and commercial missions from and towards these countries; 
    <LI>meetings for the stipulation of agreements between entrepreneurial associations and institutions of the two countries; 
    <LI>consultancy for entrepreneurs who intend to import or export; 
    <LI>training stages in the field of economics; 
    <LI>the publication of information on Croatian, Serbian and Bosnian legislation etc concerning economic, commercial and fiscal matters. </LI>
  </OL>
</div><P align="justify">In the cultural field, we provide assistance and support for:</P>
<div align="justify">
  <OL>
    <LI>the use of possibilities offered by the European Union for the financing of cultural initiatives; 
    <LI>the organisation of occasions in which neighbouring populations and local institutions can meet and get to know each other: 
    <LI>the organisation of cultural events and conventions etc; 
    <LI>the planning of training stages for students; 
    <LI>promotion on the part of local institutions for sporting events for young people; 
    <LI>the organisation of artistic and cultural events. </LI>
  </OL>
</div><P align="justify">In recent years our activities have contributed realistically towards the creation of a network of relations between Italy and Croatia, with contact having been made and work achieved to assist a wide range of bodies, including entrepreneurial organisations, government ministries, embassies and consulates, chambers of commerce, associations of various kinds, local banks, public agencies, cultural groups, universities and schools etc. Currently we are working on projects which will aim at similar forms of contact with Serbia and Vojvodina.</P>
<P align="justify">Relations and projects such as those described above are also being promoted and developed in the other countries of the Balkan area in which the Serbo-Croatian language is used, and where local organisations such as those mentioned in this document are also seeking to acquire information, and make contact with Italian operators from a wide range of sectors.</P>
<P>The Director<BR>Dr. Ubaldo Alifuoco</P>
<P><IMG height=22 src="http://www.provincia.vicenza.it/imgcom/print.gif" width=30 align=middle> <A href="http://www.provincia.vicenza.it/servizi/sportellobalcani/index.php?perstampa=stampa&" target="_blank">Versione per la stampa</A></P>
<STRONG>Provincia di Vicenza</STRONG> Contrà Gazzolle 1 - Vicenza - tel.0444908111
</TD>
</TR>
</TBODY></TABLE></PRE>

<BR>