The opportunities that the European Union offers Bulgaria are many and Bulgarians must not leave any of them unfulfilled, said Pernik Deputy Mayor Stefan Krastev during a cross-border conference held as part of the Europe on Balkans: Cohesion Skills project at the BTA National Press Club in Bosilegrad, Serbia, on Thursday.
Krastev's words referred mainly to the European Green Deal and pointed out that Pernik faces serious challenges in its implementation, which is why the Pernik Region is a target region of the EU Just Transition Mechanism.
"Pernik is a former industrial heart of Bulgaria, and our ancestors used the top technologies of their time. We can't count on that today", he stressed, adding that the green transition should be considered inevitable, and seen as an incredible opportunity, not a threat.
"It is up to us how we will manage it [the transition], whether it will happen without us taking into account our capabilities and needs, or whether it will give us the chance to implement important projects. We should be lifelong learners, because the times in which we stay [and live] in one place after graduating from school have passed. Today we have to learn and develop constantly," Krastev underscored.
Through this initiative, BTA aims to raise public awareness and foster open dialogue about cohesion policy, local achievements, and the implementation of the EU's policy priorities. Between November 2024 and September 2025, BTA will host discussions at its press clubs in the following cities: Blagoevgrad, Burgas, Varna, Veliko Tarnovo, Vidin, Vratsa, Gabrovo, Dobrich, Kazanlak, Kardzhali, Kyustendil, Lovech, Montana, Pazardzhik, Pernik, Pleven, Razgrad, Ruse, Samokov, Svishtov, Sliven, Smolyan, Sofia, Stara Zagora, Troyan, Targovishte, Haskovo, Shumen, and Yambol. Cross-border conferences will be held in Belgrade, Bosilegrad, Bucharest, Edirne, Skopje, and Thessaloniki. The project builds on the Europe in the Balkans: A Common Future and Europe in Bulgaria: A Common Future projects, implemented by BTA in 2023 and 2024, respectively.
/KK/
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