site.btaBTA's Europe on Balkans: Vidin Hosts Cohesion Skills Conference

Representatives of state, local and educational institutions participated in a conference at the National Press Club of the Bulgarian News Agency (BTA) in Vidin on Tuesday. The event was part of the Europe on Balkans: Cohesion Skills project.

Vidin's contribution to Europe are the bridges of understanding, in the literal and figurative sense, BTA Director General Kiril Valchev said at the opening of the local conference. He pointed out that the project aims to talk about the exchange of knowledge between people in Bulgaria and the Balkans, and people from the rest of the European Union. "We chose the end of January for the conference in Vidin because this is a time of symbolic dates for these bridges of understanding," Valchev emphasised. He recalled that on January 24, 2007, the National Assembly ratified the agreement between Bulgaria and Romania for the construction of a new bridge over the Danube River. The bridge is called New Europe and was opened in 2013 as part of the European Transport Networks, with financing coming mainly from the EU.

On average, vehicles pass through the Danube Bridge at Vidin-Calafat in 30 seconds, said Pavel Paunov, Executive Director of the Danube Bridge Vidin-Calafat Company, said. He noted that he is connected both with the Danube Bridge, as well as with the renovation of the Vidin synagogue, because in his previous professional experience he was a banker and actively assisted in the project's implementations. He pointed out that compared to 2024 the number of vehicles passing through the Danube bridge has increased by 22% since January 1, emphasizing that Bulgaria's accession to Schengen is significant and extremely beneficial for business and citizens.

Education is the responsibility of the entire civil society, said Vidin Regional Governor Ani Harutyunyan. "Our aspiration is to transform schools into desirable places through European funding", she emphasized, adding that work on the dual education system is imminent. Harutyunyan noted that the amount of the grant funding for the education sector in two major projects is nearly BGN 17 million. The two projects are the renovation of the Natural Sciences and Mathematics High School and the Tsar Simeon the Great Secondary School in Vidin.

2024 was one of the most successful years for Vidin Region in terms of EU funding, Regional Information Centre expert Tsvetomir Tsenkov said. He noted that with the funds received under the Recovery and Resilience Plan in 2024, Vidin Region concluded 92 contracts with businesses, farmers, municipalities and schools worth over BGN 91 million. With EU funding, Vidin Municipality has concluded 109 contracts worth over BGN 107 million. Grant funding of over BGN 93 million will be attracted under these contracts. He emphasized that the numbers are important, but the effect on overcoming inequalities and ensuring progress matters most. 

Through the Europe on Balkans: Cohesion Skills project, BTA 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. Until 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.