site.btaFirst Programmes Start from New Programming Period of EEA and Norway Grants 2014 - 2021

Sofia, May 23 (BTA) - The Ministries of culture, of the interior, of education, and of justice Wednesday signed programme agreements under the EEA and Norway Grants 2014 - 2021, the government's information service said.

The programmes have an aggregate budget of 113.5 million euros and will finance activities and projects in the priority sectors justice, internal affairs, culture, local development, reduction of poverty.

On the part of Bulgaria the agreements were signed by the head of the National Focal Point of the two financial mechanisms, Ivan Ivanov. The signing ceremony, which also marked the 10-year anniversary of the contribution from Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein to Bulgaria, was attended by Deputy Prime Minister Tomislav Donchev and Ingvild Stub, State Secretary in the Office of the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Norway.

Donchev said that the two financial mechanisms have funded nearly 1,000 projects in areas of key importance for the entire society.

Stub said that Bulgaria is the first of the 15 beneficiary countries to sign all of its programmes.