Place: Kongaz, Moldova

Participants: delegations from towns of Busk, Demene, Komarovce, Luk nad Jihlavou, Ramygala, Staicele, Storkow, Taujenai and Kongaz.

ESCO President Janis Bakmanis:

Congratulated delegates and guests of the annual conference. Emphasised that the main aim of the organisation has always been mutual cooperation between towns and countries. And, of course, peace in the world for which we see stork as a symbol.

We maintain regular correspondence and communication among the towns, organize different competitions and search for new cooperation partners. Also in Moldova, where we are now warmly welcomed, there are several towns which have expressed wish to create their coat of arms with stork and join our organisation. As a form of our cooperation we try to learn more and more about each other, about our life, traditions and also problems. By organizing and supporting international youth camps and festivals, we step by step establish closer friendship among the nations.

Firstly he expressed thanks for such a great opportunity to visit Moldova which otherwise would have been very hard. He informed that in 2009 Storkow will celebrate its 800th anniversary, thus being one of the oldest towns in Germany. Preparing for this big celebration, the restoration of the old town castle will be finished after 10 years of work. It will be the town’s cultural centre, town’s library is already working there. For a small town like Storkow the old castle will be the main cultural centre. Storkow lies in the territory of a national park, thus being surrounded by beautiful nature and they are proud that this year there are 5 stork pairs which had many young birds. Mr. Krumbein invites everybody to visit Storkow in 2009. He emphasises that Storkow’s participation in ESCO in considerable, one of many things being the regular straw festival to which all member towns are invited to participate. Besides the maintenance of ESCO website is Storkow’s responsibility.

He expressed that it’s nice to meet ECO members regularly every year, meet new member towns and learn what everybody has been doing and achieving during the year. He shortly introduces with Busk (9000 inhabitants, 2 schools, a grammar school, canned food factory, private businesses). Big reconstruction and archaeological excavation works are currently carried out in Busk, revealing many artefacts from the town’s beginnings. A big joint work was organised to clean river’s banks from rubbish and waste. In general the town is developing step by step. A competition for school children was organised to observe and count stork nests in the surroundings. This conference will be covered in Busk regional press to promote the ESCO organisation.

He mentioned that during the last year they have seriously worked with European Union projects. They have helped a lot for their town’s development, for example, a 60-flat apartment building has been built last year. He expresses great wish to cooperate with ESCO member towns and to participate in competitions organised by ESCO.

Komarovce is a very small town but is located very close to Kosice which is the second biggest city in Slovakia. Many inhabitants of Komarovce are employed by a big metal working factory in Kosice. This year the municipality has started to participate in EU projects, however, several of them have not been successful mainly due to lack of experience. Therefore he as a leader of the municipality appreciates ESCO conferences, because here he meets representatives of different municipalities and has an opportunity to share experience and learn from other colleagues.

Elvyra Tulusiene ( Chairman of Taujenai local Municipality, Lithuania):

She emphasises the international theatre festival which was organised in 2008 and where children from ESCO member towns participated. Their municipality also participates in EU projects. Their association of handicapped people create their town’s souvenirs – clay stork figures.

He expresses gratitude for an opportunity this year to visit Moldova for the first time. The municipality of Ramygala this year has received big EU grants which made it possible to reconstruct many roads and improve their electric power supply system. They have their town website (www.ramygala.lt ) which is regularly updated with the latest news and widely used by local inhabitants. Ramygala is one of the ESCO member towns which has regularly participated in Storkow straw festivals with good results. For example, in 2008 their participants got 2nd and 3rd place. To be able to organize some festivals in their municipality, they are now thinking of hotel construction to ensure accommodation for participants.

Mostly presented different youth projects and activities where the municipality is participating, also the problems they are facing. He emphasised that these kind of conferences have a great contribution to the development of democracy in the countries.

During the second part of the conference an application for ESCO membership of Kongaz city was discussed. The history of Kongaz dates back to 1811, there are 12 000 inhabitants, many young people and, importantly, high birth rate. Before making the coat of arms of the town, a competition in schools was organised with the aim to choose the best proposal. During the ESCO conference the best projects from school children were rewarded. Inhabitants of Kongaz are proud of their newly made coat of arms which bares the holy bird stork and which reflects the legend of the town. ESCO member towns unanimously voted for accepting Kongaz as an ESCO member.

Officially Arija Daugule (Staicele, Latvia) was appointed the coordinator of ESCO.