IŁAWA (POLAND) 

Cooperation with the city of Ilawa began in 1998, when the then mayor of Klaipėda District, Č. Banevičius, and the deputy mayor of Ilawa, S. Kieruzel, signed an agreement of cooperation and friendship, which became the basis for cooperation between the communities of Klaipėda District and the city of Ilawa in line with the purpose of understanding and respecting the commonalities and differences between Polish and Lithuanian culture. Two additional agreements were signed in order to reinforce the cooperative relationship: the 1999 agreement on cooperation in the areas of culture, sports, education, recreation, youth ties and healthcare; and the 2001 agreement on cooperation in the area of sharing experience in implementing EU funded projects as well as organising seminars, conferences, trade fairs, music festivals, athletic competitions and other joint events in fields such as self-governance, economics, culture, education, ecology, tourism and sport.

In 2005, the municipalities of Klaipėda District and the city of Ilawa implemented a joint project entitled “Possibilities for Creating Products of Tourism With the Aim of Involving Local Communities from the Ilawa Lake District and the Territories of the Drveca River Basin and Klaipėda District”. During the project, both sides worked actively to involve local communities in the development of the tourism sector in Poland and Lithuania. As part of the project, educational events, training seminars and work groups were set up for tourism specialists, and an analysis of the region’s tourism policy was conducted.

Cooperation with the municipality of Ilawa is actively being developed at present as well. The municipalities meet regularly to discuss relevant issues and share their experience as well as problems. They also participate in various events hosted by the municipalities and cooperate with the other partners of both cities.

The city of Ilawa is part of the Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship, which has a population of 34 thousand. The city is an attractive tourist destination, especially for those interested in sailing because of the Jezoriak Lake located in the southern part of the town. Ilawa hosts the well-known Złota Tarka annual jazz festival and a marine song festival in the summer.

Apart from Klaipėda District, Ilawa also has partner cities in the Netherlands (Tholen) and Germany (Herborn).

For more information on Ilawa, go to the town’s website: www.ilawa.pl

MAARDU (ESTONIA) 

The municipalities of Klaipėda District and the Estonian town of Maardu first began to build a cooperative relationship on 12-14 June 2013, during the topical international conference under the title “Municipal policy on anti-corruption and the development of a system of preventive measures. Implementation experience. The Latvian, Finnish and Estonian model”.

The contact established during these topical international meetings encouraged both sides to seek closer cooperation in the areas of economics, social affairs, culture, education and sports.

On 15 April 2014, representatives of the municipalities of Klaipėda District and the Estonian city of Maardu signed a protocol on the intention of cooperation in the town of Gargždai. On 12 September 2014, a cooperation agreement was signed in Maardu. With this agreement, the municipalities committed to promoting cooperation between the municipal institutions, communities and businesses of Klaipėda District and the city of Maardu in the areas of economics, social affairs, culture, education, sports, environmental protection, tourism and public administration.

The purpose of such cooperation is to develop friendly ties between municipalities and to encourage the sharing of information and experience that would help the municipalities achieve their daily goals by creating a legal, moral and material basis for various activities.

Maardu is a town in the north of Estonia by the Gulf of Finland, 15 km away from Tallinn, the Estonian capital. The town has a population of about 16,600 and it is the location of Muuga, the largest marine cargo port in Estonia, which belongs to the Tallinn Harbour.

Apart from Klaipėda District, Maardu also has partner cities in Armenia, Belarus, Montenegro, Canada, China, Cambodia, Latvia, Poland, Mongolia, France, Russia and Ukraine.

For more information on Maardu, go to the town’s website: www.mardu.ee.