European Cooperation Day is celebrated all over Europe on the 21st of September to commemorate the achievements of European Cooperation in Europe. On the 26^th of September, 2020, the Lithuania-Russia Cross-Border Cooperation Programme 2014-2020 (later – Programme) together with the project „The Curonian Spit: fighting the fires” partners – Federal State Budgetary Institution "National park "Kurshskaya Kosa" and Budgetary institution „Services for Neringa“, invited everyone to celebrate together the European Cooperation Day. This year the Programme has marked this celebration by a bicycle route "Two partners, two routes – one aim".

The main aim of the route was to mark 30 years of Interreg and to show that the fire has no border, as well as to symbolize the strong commitment of Firefighters and rescuers to dedicate their professional life to firefighting.

As Lithuania-Russia border is still closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, bicyclists from Russia and Lithuania started the route from their own countries and then virtually met using video call next to the border. Participants’ efforts were rewarded with nice and practical gifts of the Programme which can be used in future bicycle tours.

While waiting for the start of the route and after the finish in Neringa, the trainer demonstrated and explained, how to perform some useful exercises in order to prepare the muscles for a ride and relax them after the tour. The total distance of the route – approximately 14 km in Lithuania and 15 km in Russia.

A tour has attracted more than 60 bicyclists (30 in Lithuania and 30 in Russia). The youngest participants took part in the event in an original way – on a child bike seat. Even the weather was fantastic and reminded of a summer, not an autumn!

Photos of the event are available on the Programme Facebook account and in the Photo gallery on the Programme website.