site.btaBTA's Europe on Balkans Cohesion Skills Conference Held in Yambol

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 Yambol on Thursday. The event was part of BTA's Europe on Balkans: Cohesion Skills project.

Yambol has given a new holiday to the European Union, BTA Director General Kiril Valchev said at the opening of the local conference, held on the opening day of the 26th edition of the Kukerlandia International Masquerade Festival. "This festival, which combines the local (Yambol), the national (Bulgarian) and the regional (Balkan) with participants from other Balkan countries, is already European as evidence of the preservation of diversity in unity, which is the motto of the EU - United in Diversity," Valchev pointed out. "Holidays like Kukerlandia in Yambol are an occasion for heartfelt communication, for sharing against the backdrop of alienation between people in other places in Europe. Because more important than the holidays on the calendar are the holidays in the soul," Valchev stressed, adding that the holiday carries a deeper meaning than just joy, namely the preparation for self-restraint, humility and patience during fasting, which is needed by some too consumerist, mercantile, oversatisfied modern Europeans.

Yambol has the potential to develop on an even larger scale as a town of education and science and thus contribute greatly to the development of Bulgaria and Europe, Regional Governor Nikolay Kostadinov said. "Each of us must approach education with great initiative and responsibility," he stressed, adding that the basis of any future success for Bulgaria as part of the European family is skilled human resources. He recalled that the Faculty of Engineering and Technology of the Trakia University in Stara Zagora operates in Yambol Region, occupying a prestigious place in the top ten of higher education institutions in Bulgaria. "I am convinced that with the joint efforts of the State, local authorities, non-governmental organizations and the academic community, project ideas could be created that would contribute to the development of the regions. And education, of course, is one of the main tools for this," Kostadinov pointed out.

Yambol is a European town, said Deputy Mayor Encho Keryazov. "I hope that we will be able to better use good European practices," he added, emphasizing that he has felt European for a long time. "I am proud to be Bulgarian, to be European," he pointed out. Keryazov recalled that the Kukerlandia International Masquerade Festival is opening on this day in Yambol, reflecting the wealth of local traditions and identity. "The festival is held on the eve of Sirni Zagovezni, the holiday that we associate with asking for forgiveness," Keryazov recalled, adding that nothing else makes as much sense as people understanding each other and having a dialogue with each other. "No technologies can replace human relations," he stressed.

Europe's contribution fits well into the vision for the development of Yambol by 2027, namely as a green and prosperous town, said Yordanka Chobanova, head of the European Commission Representation in Bulgaria. Yambol is both an ancient and a modern town, she pointed out, adding that life in the town is different now compared to the 1990s, with the different appearance coming largely from EU funding. Chobanova said that BGN 211 million of EU funds have been invested in Yambol, with nearly 500 implemented projects, such as the modernization of the Youth Cultural Centre, the Museum of Battle Glory, the Art Gallery, and the Regional History Museum. Investments in Yambol Region amount to BGN 407 million, with over 1,100 projects having been implemented, she pointed out.

European funding in the field of culture and education is of great importance to Tundzha Municipality, noted Mayor Stancho Stavrev. Tundzha Municipality has absorbed over BGN 1.5 million within the framework of Operational Programme Education for Smart Growth, he said, adding that educational institutions in the Municipality have absorbed another BGN 600,000 in inter-municipal projects. "In the field of culture, through the cross-border cooperation programme between Bulgaria and Turkiye, we have absorbed over BGN 1.5 million of EU funding in cultural projects, including for the promotion and development of local cultural traditions," he pointed out. "EU funding in the field of culture and education has multidirectional manifestations and dimensions in our cultural spaces, as well as high sentimental value for our young people. We planned the props, the type of masks, etc. with them in mind," Stavrev underscored.

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. 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.