Following
the twinning of Nadur with Cicciano, the Nadur Local Council is looking
for further opportunities and contact with foreign Councils. Baveno is
next in line to twin with Nadur. June29th.com met Dr Paolo
Marchioni, who has been Mayor of Baveno since 1995. He is 35 years old.
Q: This will be the first twinning agreement signed by Baveno. How did you decide to twin with the people of Nadur?
A: It all started when the Nadur Local Council and the AICCRE invited us to participate in the special Convention on Italo-Maltese twinnings held last November. We were always interested in such twinnings and wanted to make new contacts with Maltese or Gozitan Local Councils who were interested in twinning with Baveno. Nadur's Mayor Dr Chris Said showed particular interest. We discussed the possibility over the telephone and eventually met both Dr Said and the Nadur councillors at the Convention.
Q:
How
do you think the Bavenesi's way of life could change through this
twinning agreement?
A: Twinning agreements are a perfect opportunity to exchange history, tradition and culture. We will be signing a friendship agreement. Although we're miles apart we shall be sharing our values and way of life. Above all, it will provide a positive experience to our youngsters, who will have a foreign reference point.
Q: What do you think of Malta and Gozo?
A: For us Bavenesi, Malta and Gozo are still a reality waiting to be discovered. We are looking forward to get to know the Maltese Islands better through the twinning with Nadur. Malta is an important state, lying in a pivotal point in the Mediterranean, with such a rich history. Above all Malta will be an active member in the European Union in a few months time.
Q: What will be your main priorities once you've signed the twinning agreement with Nadur? What do you plan to do?
A:
Our priorities our two-fold: to let the people of Nadur discover
Baveno and enjoy its beautiful surroundings, our rich cultural and
artistic heritage and also our well-known tourist regions and to offer
the same thing to the people of Baveno who are already eager to discover
Nadur, Gozo and the Maltese Islands.
Q: There is a difference between life in Baveno, in the North of Italy, and life in the small Mediterranean island of Gozo. Do you think the different life-styles pose a challenge to a successful twinning experience?
A: Honestly I cannot give an answer to this question before meeting the people of Nadur. However, having already met your Mayor and his wife, I am confident that the Bavenesi and the Nadurin will discover to have so many things in common. We are both European, both democratic and we share more or less the same pivotal values.
I look forward to this new exciting experience.
