January 10, 2013 Yuriy Fedkovych Chernivtsi National University held a press conference in the Red hall on the occasion of the beginning of the project "Historical and ethnographic heritage – part of sustainable development of tourism in Bukovina" (HERITAGE), MIS-ETC Code 829. The project is implemented by Chernivtsi national University in partnership with the University "Ştefan cel Mare" of Suceava from 17 May 2012 to 16 May 2014 in the framework of the Joint operational Programme Romania – Ukraine –Republic of Moldova 2007-2013, and aims at the development of tourism infrastructure by improving the attractiveness of border territories. Common borders – common solutions. Scientists say that in order to increase the number of foreign tourists in the territory of Bukovina, it is necessary to inform citizens well about the historical and ethnographic potential of the region. In the framework of the Joint operational Programme Romania-Ukraine-Republic of Moldova 2007-2013 project goes beyond our state and is of transboundary nature. Thus, all tasks are implemented in parallel. Ivan Vorotnyak, project coordinator from CHNU: the Project is extremely large, large-scale for financial component and so huge in the sense that in this project we are not limited only to the territory of Ukraine, i.e. Chernivtsi region, it goes beyond our state and is of transboundary nature, since our partner is the Ștefan cel Mare University of Suceava. Therefore, the development of the tourism industry involves the development of capacity, which has both southern and northern Bukovina to act within the tourism industry. Stefan Puric, project coordinator from the Suceava University, Vice-Rector for international affairs: almost the same events will be conducted on both the northern and the southern parts of Bukovina. Practically almost the same events will be held in the northern part of Bukovyna as well as in the southern one, namely tourist route development, organization of tourist information centres, initiation of museums and exhibitions, organization of various events, that may promote tourist products. Chernivtsi National University has good experience in the sphere of international cooperation. Currently there are more than 90 agreements on cooperation, more than 60 of them work actively. Owing to it nearly 600 people from the university were abroad last year. Stepan Melnychuk, the president of Yuriy Fedkovych Chernivtsi National University claims: Cooperation is always important because it allows one to look at oneself from a partner's standpoint, to see something interesting that a partner has, that can be adopted from him. We cooperate in different domains, not only in tourism: in science, student exchange, postgraduates, common conferences are held. Historico-ethnographic museums and houses of culture are attended to. If a number of tourists increases, the attendance of these establushments will grow respectively. Oleksiy Hlushko, the official representative of the Joint Technical Secretariat says: The case is new. It is a big project for the university - one of the biggest projects in Ukraine at present. As a managing authority of the programme, we help, control, solve certain operative issues concerning directly methodology, procedure issues, visualization. The total budget of the programme amounts to 1 474 463, 00 euros (equivalent in Ukrainian hryvnias - 15 526 095,36), including the budget for the project realization by Chernivtsi National University - 934 466, 00 euros (equivalent in Ukrainian hryvnias - 839 926,98). Funding of the project is mainly carried out up to 90% by the European Union. Mykola Kalinovskyi, the head of the cross-border cooperation and investment attraction department of the Regional State Administration claims: we wish this project to be realized by experts - a team that is good at this business. In fact, doubts were sown that higher education institutions could participate in the realization of these project. However, we managed to persuade the European Commission, that national universities with pretty serious staff can and will do it. The logic of money allotment also includes that both universities contribute 10% from the total cost of the project through the line of co-financing. Ivan Vorotniak, the coordinator on the part of CHNU: Within the framework of the given project we view Bykovyna as a whole, as a certain historical and ethnographic region. Political borders of modernity are of our interest only in the frame of the transborder –national cooperation. Primarily it is a propaganda of the historical and cultural heritage of our region and the creation of a larger attractiveness of Bukovyna for tourists. Among the principal objectives of the project are: the elaboration and publication of the tourist map of Bukovyna that will include the terrain of Chernivtsi Region and Suceava County, the establishment and endorsement of a trilingual website, a promotional DVD-disk and the publication of an ethnographic album. Stepan Melnychuk, rector of Yuriy Fedkovych Chernivtsi National University: the main complication is that we live according to the Ukrainian legislation, but the project is written by the European one. There are some discords in it and it takes up much time to remake and conform them. However, we have enough experience and I think we must do it. We do not raise a question to what extent can it be done, it has to be carried out. Besides, within the framework of the project there will be generated 20 new routes: international and regional routes for car, cycle, pedestrian and equine tourism. All the publications will be of a trilingual character. The realization of the project has been planned for 24 months. It will be completed next year in May. Video plot has been broadcast on the air of 5 Channel in the TV news “Chas Novyn” since 17.01.2013. Video plot can be watched on YouTube (http://youtu.be/hv-DajevwK0?t=2m7s).