BTA's Europe on Balkans Cohesion Skills Conference Held in Svishtov

Filip Pavlov, BTA correspondent Marina Petrova

Local conference in Svishtov within the Europe on Balkans: Cohesion Skills project, January 29, 2025 (BTA Photo/Biser Todorov)

Svishtov, on the Danube,

29.01.2025 16:09

(BTA)

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

Svishtov's contribution to Europe is one of the first Bulgarian community centres, which is a window to knowledge about the latest developments in the world, BTA Director General Kiril Valchev said at the opening of the conference. The first Bulgarian community centre was opened on January 30, 1856, with Valchev emphasising that the conference in Svishtov takes place on the eve of January 30, and that precisely the knowledge born out of the sincere interest in the achievements of people around the world and especially in Europe turns Svishtov into the "Town of the 100 First Things in Bulgaria". "Here are the first steam mill, the first printing press. These first European things came to Bulgaria precisely through Svishtov thanks to its alert residents, who made the best use of the town's location on the Danube River", Valchev stressed.

Svishtov will absorb nearly BGN 80 million under the Recovery and Resilience Plan and various EU programmes, said Mayor Gencho Genchev. He noted that he has always wanted EU funds to provide their added value and this is a fact already, adding that Svishtov Municipality will be one of the first in 2025 to absorb funds from the EU. Genchev pointed out that BTA's Europe on Balkans: Cohesion Skills project is important in order to understand that Bulgaria is not just accumulating funds. "On the contrary - all projects implemented in Bulgaria provide added value for the whole of Europe", he emphasised, adding that Svishtov is the first municipality to open a Europe Close to Citizens Centre. "Through it, we provide information about EU policies, financial resources and opportunities for young people, business and institutions. This is a successful project that was developed jointly with the European Commission as an innovative model," Genchev said.

Svishtov has always been a leading educational and cultural centre with a glorious past, a good present and a good vision for the future, said Svishtov Academy of Economics Rector Marin Marinov. "Our task is to maintain the high level. Proof of our efforts is the consortium in which the Academy of Economics participates for the construction of a European University," he pointed out, adding that the Academy is one of 11 European universities taking part in the consortium. Marinov emphasised that the goal of creating a comprehensive European university is to use the creative potential arising from the European cultural heritage through teaching, research and transfer activities.

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.

/NF/