site.btaUPDATED Haskovo Hosts Europe in the Balkans Conference

A local conference under the project “Europe in the Balkans: A Common Future”, took place at the Bulgarian News Agency's (BTA) national press club in Haskovo on Tuesday. The implementation of the EU-funded operational programmes for the 2014-2020 programming period and the prospects for the new 2021-2027 programming period were on the agenda at the forum.

The conference was opened by Regional Administration Expert Anastasia Simeonova, who defined the proximity of the region to Turkiye and Greece as a factor for Haskovo to become a centre of international, commercial and cultural exchange. She noted the road connectivity through the Maritsa motorway and defined it as the most direct and fastest road between Europe and Asia.

Yoanna Kokotanekova from the Regional Information Centre said that there are seven submitted concepts for Integrated Territorial Investments (ITI) for Haskovo Region, and the funds applied for exceed BGN 293 million. The largest concept, worth almost BGN 96 million, is related to healthcare, education and ecology. Haskovo Municipality is the leading partner, with more than 30 partners and more than 40 activities included in the concept.

Krasimir Stankov, expert for Project Management at the Joint Secretariat of the INTERREG IPA Bulgaria - Turkey cross-border cooperation programme, outlined the innovations in the cohesion policy in the European Union for the 2021-2027period, as well as the results achieved under the INTERREG IPP Bulgaria - Turkey programme for the 2014-2020 and 2021-2027 periods. He said that as of 2020, there are nearly 240 subsidy contracts for the more than 20 years of cross-border cooperation between the two countries. Most of them have been implemented, with their total budget exceeding EUR 60 million. He added that for the current 2021-2027 programming period, the allocated budget is EUR 34.4 million, and also that one of the priorities is a strategic project aimed at managing illegal migration.

Valentin Spendzharov, chief expert in the Directorate for European and National Programmes and Projects in Haskovo Municipality, reported that during the past programming period Dimitrovgrad Municipality implemented cross-border projects mainly under the Greece-Bulgaria cross border cooperation programme. One of the projects was in the field of environmental protection and countermeasures against various disasters, implemented with Soufli Municipality. The expert added that a project proposal has been prepared in partnership with the University of Thessaloniki for the island of Thassos.

Dimitrovgrad Deputy Mayor Yasho Minkov shared the experience of the municipality in terms of cross-border cooperation by presenting an implemented project for over EUR 1.1 million in the field of telemedicine. The goal of the project was to create a model for primary healthcare applicable in the cross-border region. Three municipalities were partners in it, Dimitrovgrad from Bulgaria and Dimotika and Paranesti from Greece. The results of the project are two mobile diagnostic centres equipped for primary medical care.

The BTA project "Europe in the Balkans: A Common Future" is supported by the European Commission. It aims to foster a better understanding of the role of cohesion policy in the Balkans; to raise awareness of projects funded by the EU through the Cohesion Funds; promote dialogue on the results of the projects at local level and boost civic participation in issues related to cohesion policy.  

The project is funded with EUR 348,871. To achieve the project's aims, BTA is using a media mix and expects to reach out to between 700,000 and 1 million people in Bulgaria, Romania, Serbia, North Macedonia, Greece, and Turkiye. 

The series of conferences under the project was launched on December 20, 2023 in Sofia. The programme for 2024 includes discussions in the cities of Blagoevgrad, Burgas, Varna, Vidin, Vratsa, Gabrovo, Dobrich, Kazanlak, Kardzhali, Kyustendil, Lovech, Montana, Pazardzhik, Pernik, Pleven, Plovdiv, Razgrad, Samokov, Silistra, Sliven, Smolyan, Sofia, Stara Zagora, Targovishte, Haskovo, Shumen, Yambol and Kardzhali, as well as cross-border conferences in Belgrade, Bosilegrad, Bucharest, Edirne, Skopje and Thessaloniki.