Viva United Europe, respect to Šilute! With these words of a member of the Parliamentary Assembly of the European Council, and ex- senator of Italy, Mr. Renzo Gubert and hearty thanks for the endeavour to develop Alcide de Gasperi idea, a Flag of Honour of European Council was presented to Šilutė District Municipality; it was accepted by the Mayor of the Municipality, Virgilijus Pozingis at a solemn meeting of the Council and presented to the community of Šilutė. Šilutė District Municipality that was awarded a European diploma in 2006, in 2009, the Flag of Honour of the European Council was presented for the significant activity for Europe: active spreading of European ideas, contribution to important European events, educational activity, cooperation with towns of other European countries, their communities, participation in various international events, preservation of historic heritage in the territory of the municipality, private interchange of companies and enterprises, and implementation of European structural fund opportunities. On this occasion, the municipality of Šilutė district organized an Autumn feast on 26 September, 2009, called “We are Europeans”, accepted the Flag of Honour of the European Council, marked the 30th anniversary of the World Tourism Day, enjoyed the concerts of the representatives of the district who participated in the Lithuanian Millennium Song festival „Amţių sutartinė“ (engl. Glee of Centuries) and dancers of the sport club „Atėnė; honoured masters of the nicest homesteads of the wards, and admired the photo exhibition „Me, Šilutė and Europe: 2004-2009”, “Išsaugoti namai” (engl. Preserved home) and exhibitions of good jobs‟ chronicle of the Lithuanian Millennium. The feast started with a solemn meeting of Šilutė municipality council and the anthems of Lithuania and the European Union sang by Šilutė vocal ensemble “Mingė” along with participants of the solemn meeting. The meeting was attended not only by the members of the council, but also by the member of honour of the Parliamentary Assembly of the European Council, Mr. Renzo Gybert with his wife Maria Silvia Zecchini, delegations from municipalities of Poland, Gdansk (Mr. Cezary Bieniasz-Krzywiec, Mr. Lukasz Kozaczek), Gdansk Pruscia (Mr. Piotr Kalinski), Ostruda (Mr.Gustaw Marek Brzezin, Mr. Roman Nowakowski, Ms. Malgorzata Filipowiak, Mr.Tomasz Klimecki), Konakli of Turkey (Mr. Abdullah Somnez, Mr. Nuvit Ozhan, Mr.Yeliz Erkoc), the member of the Lithuanian Seimas, Audrius Endzinas and Kęstas Komskis, Vice-Minister of Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Evaldas Ignatavičius, Director of the Association of Lithuanian Municipalities, Roma Ţakaitienė, Head of Information Bureau of the European Parliament, Daiva Jakaitė, Mayors of Klaipėda, Kretinga, and Šilalė districts, Vaclovas Dačkauskas, Juozas Maţeika, Albinas Eţerskis, Deputy mayors of Šilutė District Municipality, Stasė Skutulienė, Jonas Jaunius, Director of Administration, Šarūnas Lauţikas, his Deputy, Regina Virginija Kondratavičienė, communities of Šilutė region, and representatives of the press (in total, 120 people). Partners from Germany, Sweden, Denmark, Russia, and Latvia were also invited to the feast, but they had excused for not being able to arrive. Some of them (Germans, Latvians, Russians, and Swedes) had been to Šilutė for several times in 2009. Since 1995, the Municipality of Šilutė district has been an active member of the Association of Lithuanian Municipalities that belongs to the Council of European Municipalities and Regions, United Cities and Local Governments. The Municipality is taking part in the activity of the Euroregion “Baltija”, it has signed cooperation agreements with municipalities of cities of Germany, Sweden, Denmark, Poland, Russian Federation, Turkey, and Latvia. Actively cooperating with the representative of the Lithuanian Association of Municipalities in Brussels Mr. Povilas Kuprys, the member of the Council of Šilutė Municipality, Deputy Mayor, Stasė Skutulienė is a true member of the Committee of European Regions. In February, 2009, the Mayor of the Municipality, Virgilijus Pozingis, together with Mayors of 204 cities, signed the pact of the mayors regarding the action plan of implementation of stable energetics. Culture centres, educational institutions, the library of Fridrichas Bajoraitis, the museum, chamber drama theatre, centre of Tourism and Information, non-governmental public organizations (unions, clubs), private companies established in the territory of the municipality, also closely cooperate with foreign partners and implement separate international projects, supporting European youth ideas, organizing youth forums, culture meetings, participating in folklore music festivals, sports competitions, and international exhibitions. The municipality of Šilutė district absorb successfully the opportunities provided by the European Union. During past five years, the municipality has accomplished or is implementing now investment projects for 50 million Litas granted by different EU funds and support programs. For the renewal of the 500 years old water road and equipment of Šilutė quay alone, over 13 million Litas were used, and for the projects of water management, 27 million Litas have been spent already. Until the end of 2013, various projects shall obviously be implemented for 50 million Litas, and a new phase of EU structural fund usage shall be begun in the nearest future for implementation of the investment projects: refurbishment of Hugo Scheu manor and arrangement for the purpose of tourism for 8 million Litas, management of the quay of Mingė village for 6,6 million Litas, finishing of street reconstruction of Šilutė Darbininkai block for 6 million Litas. Educational institutions spread European ideas actively: fill in the “European journal”, organize public lessons about European history, participate in projects of a long-term program “Educational European Parliament”, “Examination”, and competition “Euroscola“, organize competitions „Get to know Europe“, „European„s face“, and other events to mark the Day of Europe. Some educational institutions and non-governmental public organizations participate in a project “European neighbours”. Also, they have participated in the 12th week of European youth culture, “Europeade” and “Museum nights”, as well as other international events. Local communities, non-governmental organizations often participate in actions of European solidarity; Šilutė committee of the Lithuanian Red Cross, Šilutė “Soroptima” club, “Rotary” are especially active. Members of the community have contributed to various actions of international assistance: support for India, Georgia, South-East Asia, USA, South Mexico, China, etc. Also, charity is granted from colleagues foreigners to Šilutė as well. Šilutė region is proclaimed by a yachtsman Andrius Varnas who is in Australia with his yacht at the moment, orchestra “Pamarys”, ensembles “Karčema”, “Verdainė”, choir “Vartana”, and other ensembles of the district culture centres, sportsmen, sports club “Atėnė”, dancing group “Ţvaigţdūnė”, Fridrichas Bajoraitis library which has prepared and implemented many different projects, school of tourism and business services, school of agriculture and many other groups of Šilutė community. Giving thanks for the Flag of Honour to Mr. Renzo Gubert , the Mayor Virgilijus Pozingis spoke that this award was presented to all members of the community who had contributed with their work, achievements of warm-hearted and generous people, and assured that this achievement would motivate Šilutė people to develop programmes of business and cultural interchange, to participate in international events and to pursue for further improvement of the region thus making the Šilutė and the entire Lithuania more and more outstanding in Europe. For active spreading of European ideas, consistent cooperation with foreign partners, implementation of local and international projects, publications and reportages about participation of Šilutė district in life of the European Union, the Mayor presented letters of thanks to thirty most active enterprises, unions, clubs and newspapers of Šilutė district. The guest Mr. Renzo Gubert emphasized that Šilutė understood the benefit of partnership among cities and applied it in its practice, that the award was granted for the work that was made perfectly and that this award was an incentive to continue developing relationships in the entire Europe, that The European Council understood that these achievements required political will and personal initiatives. During the solemn meeting, the Mayor of Šilutė District Municipality, Virgilijus Pozingis, signed a Cooperation Agreement with a Mayor of Konakli (Turkey), Abdullah Sonmez. It has been the seventh Cooperation Agreement signed between the municipality and partners of a foreign country. The Agreement stipulates that both countries shall make regional economies more popular, create and implement tourist projects with cultural and natural heritage of both regions, create a system of integrated information with a help of innovations and modern technologies, maintain international initiatives, and etc. Later, the participants of the meeting of the municipality council, together with an orchestra of a school of arts, “Pamarys”, participants of the Song festival, representatives of non-governmental youth organizations and sportsmen, walked along Lietuvninkai and Ţalgirio streets to the sports stadium of Šilutė. During the opening of the feast at the sports stadium of Šilutė,