site.btaBulgaria Denounces Support Agreement for Taraclia State University After It Becomes Ruse University Branch

The members of Parliament Thursday adopted the denunciation of a Bulgarian-Moldovan agreement on support for Gregory Tsamblak State University of Taraclia, because it was transformed into a branch of Angel Kanchev University of Ruse in March 2024. The bill on denunciation was voted on first and second reading in Thursday's plenary session and was adopted unanimously with 135 votes in favour.

The report of the Committee on Education and Science states that the activities of Taraclia State University have so far been regulated based on the agreement between Bulgaria and Moldova concluded in 2004. Due to changes in the Moldovan legal framework concerning the functioning of higher education institutions, the existence of the University is not possible in the way it has functioned so far. It is noted that after bilateral talks, the two governments have signed a new agreement on transforming Taraclia State University into a branch of Angel Kanchev University of Ruse.

Krasimir Valchev of GERB-UDF said that the new agreement was not ratified by law, it was concluded between the governments of the two countries, which does not give it an advantage in national legislation. In Valchev’s words, it is an obstacle for the Council of Ministers in providing additional funds for Ruse University. Thus, the Ministry of Education and Science can finance the education in the University’s Moldovan branch only under the general procedure. “We are handing over the financial burden of Ruse University”, Valchev said and called for a change in the Higher Education Act to create such an additional regulation from the beginning of 2025.