site.btaUPDATED BTA's Europe on Balkans Cohesion Skills Conference Held in Ruse

Representatives of various sectors who have worked on projects related to the EU's Cohesion Policy participated in a local conference at the National Press Club of the Bulgarian News Agency (BTA) in Ruse on Monday. The event was part of BTA's Europe on Balkans: Cohesion Skills project.

Ruse, the largest Bulgarian city on the Danube River and the fifth largest city in Bulgaria, is a symbol of the Bulgarian's openness to diversity and new things against the background of strong local traditions, said BTA Director General Kiril Valchev. He pointed out that Ruse is the city through which various things from the rest of Europe come to Bulgarian lands along the Danube River, adding that other European countries can only take as an example the cosmopolitanism, tolerance for diversity and receptiveness to innovations of the Bulgarians in Ruse. Valchev recalled that the connection of Ruse with the rest of Europe begins with Sexaginta Prista, the ancient Roman fortress with barriers for mooring 60 ships on the territory of today's Ruse.

The narrative about Europe is a narrative about Bulgaria, and there is nothing worse than moving the conversation about Europe somewhere far from us, as this would show low self-esteem and does not correspond to the facts, stressed the host of the weekly programme Panorama on the Bulgarian National Television Boyko Vassilev. He associated Bulgaria’s entry into the European Union with Bulgaria's adoption of Christianity, noting that by adopting the Christian religion in the 9th century and with the active inclusion of Bulgaria in Christian life in the 10th century, Bulgaria entered in an identical way into the big world, just as the country is doing today. "This is a path that passes through faith, through science and culture," Vassilev stressed. He expressed disagreement with the imposed impression in Bulgaria's public life that those who support a strong Europe are not patriots, while patriots are opposed to Europe. "For me, this is a striking mistake, and it is a city like Ruse that will tell us, this was a mistake both then and now. For the great Bulgarian intellectuals on the Danube, such a division was not possible. This is the city where Elias Canetti grew up, and Zahari Stoyanov, Baba Tonka [Tonka Obretenova] and her sons created the idea of ​​Bulgaria. It is not by chance that this happened here, where the idea of ​​Europe is strongest. The idea of ​​Bulgarian patriotism was born here, and nothing can separate it from Europe," Vassilev concluded.

Ruse Deputy Regional Governor Georgi Georgiev said that Ruse Region is an example of how the cohesion policy in the European Union helps regions to develop and improve the quality of life of their residents. He pointed out that in recent years, a number of projects have been implemented in Ruse Region through European funding, not only in infrastructure, but also in the education, business and social spheres. As a result, Georgiev noted that Ruse Region is very well developed in all areas and is a good example of a modern European region with a past, present and future, both in culture and industry.

Ruse Deputy Mayor Encho Enchev noted that the topic of Europe and education is very important. "For us it is extremely important that our joint commitments with Europe continue and that we work as actively as possible with the various European institutions", he emphasised. He pointed out that the Erasmus+ programme, which is funded by the EC, gives many educational figures and students the opportunity to exchange experience and practice in other countries. "In this way, they introduce Europe to our traditions, and I believe that in education we have something to be proud of. In addition, they get to know some new practices that we could also adopt,” Enchev noted. He also drew attention to the role of European programmes in improving the material base of Bulgaria's educational institutions.

Over 1300 contracts were implemented in Ruse Region during the programming period 2014-2020, with a total value of nearly BGN 200,000 in grant aid and over 1,000 beneficiaries, said Ruse Regional Information Centre Manager Diana Avramova. Among the implemented projects under the Operational Programme Transport, Avramova distinguished initiatives of the Railway Infrastructure National Company, the Port Infrastructure State Enterprise and the Executive Agency for Research and Maintenance of the Danube River. She pointed out that the water pipes of the city were replaced under the Operational Programme Environment, while the municipalities implemented various projects related to landfill reclamation and the construction of an anaerobic plant. Ruse Municipality also purchased electric vehicles, with the aim of cleaner air, she noted.

Ruse Region is in first place in terms of number of students in the dual education system, said the Head of the Ruse Regional Education Directorate, Rositsa Georgieva. She specified that this is due to the participation of pedagogical specialists and students from the region in projects under EU programmes. "This also means that we have a very close connection between education and business. This helps both business to find staff in the relevant field early and to improve the skills of students, because they start working in a real work environment," Georgieva noted, adding that there are currently three active projects under the Education Programme 2021-2027, which are being implemented in the region.

BTA's Europe on Balkans: Cohesion Skills project aims to raise public awareness and foster open dialogue about cohesion policy, local achievements, and the implementation of the EU's policy priorities. The project kicked off with a conference in Veliki Preslav in November 2024. The schedule of conferences until the end of September 2025 includes events 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.