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The Southern Alps Cross-border Alliance
March 2024
A "Southern Alps Cross-border Alliance" was launched on February 8th 2024 in Imperia in the presence of Christian Estrosi, Mayor of Nice, President of the Métropole Nice Côte d'Azur and Deputy President of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Region, and Claudio Scajola, Mayor of Imperia and President of the Province of Imperia.
The alliance brings together the Métropole Nice Côte d'Azur, the Provinces of Imperia and Cuneo, the French Riviera Conurbation Community, the metropolitan cities of Turin and Genoa, and the Principality of Monaco.
The result of several years of cooperation, this alliance aims to become "a tool of influence" and "a new model of multi-level territorial diplomacy to defend the issues facing the Southern Alps with a single voice". By bringing the right players to the table, its aim will be "to solve the region's problems, and to obtain funding to meet the challenges at stake, particularly in terms of transport, health, the fight against climate change, the economy, and public services".
The alliance, which will be based in Nice, will adopt a rotating presidency and operate within the framework set by the Border Cooperation Committee of the Quirinal Treaty. Priority projects include modernising the railway line between Genoa and Ventimiglia, and upgrading the 25 kilometres of track between Ventimiglia and the main station near Nice’s airport.
For Christian Estrosi, who pointed out that "neither earthquakes, nor storms, nor floods, nor viruses know any borders", the Alliance makes "perfect sense". For his part, Claudio Scajola emphasised the unified and collaborative aspect of this approach, through "common governance in a single basin".
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