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

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

Opening the cross-border conference, BTA Director General Kiril Valchev said that the Bulgarian News Agency brings to Belgrade Bulgaria's knowledge of the European Union and the opportunities in the EU for Bulgarian citizens in Serbia. "Thanks to BTA's National Press Club and its correspondent Teodora Encheva, who from today [Friday] also has an assistant - cameraman Emil Conkic, Belgrade and Serbia are part of the general European talks that BTA organizes with the support of the European Commission," Valchev pointed out. He underscored that this conference is taking place on the eve of March 1, the date on which in 2012, the EU granted candidate member status to Serbia. "The great meaning of this dialogue is to discuss how to continue our rapprochement, so that between today's students in Bulgaria and Serbia there will be no border tomorrow," Valchev stressed, adding that the great goal should not be a second border crossing at Kalotina for the Bulgarians from Tsaribrod, but that there should be no border crossing checkpoint at all.

The EU Growth Plan provides a clear path forward by allocating EUR 6 billion to the Western Balkans, of which nearly EUR 1.6 billion are earmarked for Serbia, said Plamena Halacheva, Deputy Head of the EU Delegation to Serbia. The EU remains committed to strengthening cooperation with Serbia in order to maximize the impact of these programmes and reinforce European values, Halacheva noted, adding that the EU initiative in Serbia aims to accelerate the accession process, stimulate economic growth and deepen integration with regional and European markets. She stressed that the EU firmly supports Serbia and its citizens on the path to their European home and that achieving this goal requires sustainable reforms, political will and a willingness to address the challenges along the way.

Bulgarian Ambassador to Serbia Petko Doykov said that the Balkans have long been a crossroads of civilizations, a region rich in history and culture. He said that this region has contributed immensely to the cultural and historical identity of Europe and that the Balkan peoples are an integral part of the European cultural space. "After the opening of BTA's Press Club in Belgrade, there is an increased activity, a series of events organized by BTA are taking place, so I am glad that we have an information presence," Doykov said, adding that the Bulgarian Embassy will support the news agency's activities. The relationship between the European Union and the Balkans is not just a matter of politics or geography, but also a matter of shared destiny, of a future built on cooperation, stability and mutual development, Doykov pointed out.

Municipal Council Chair of Serbia's Tsaribrod (Dimitrovgrad) Zoran Djurov said that Serbian citizens of Bulgarian origin need stronger ties with Bulgaria. "Whatever happens in the field of politics, we will stay here where we live. That is why we need cooperation between the Balkan peoples and within the EU," Djurov pointed. "We look at Europe through Bulgaria", he noted, adding that the interest is great, as the benefits of Bulgaria's entry into the European Union are many.

The great challenge for the Western Balkans is to integrate and share resources, noted Prof. Miglena Temelkova, Council of Rectors Chair in Bulgaria and Rector of the University of Telecommunications and Post. "Just as Europe has its educational alliances, we can also create educational Balkan alliances to share resources," she noted, adding that in the Balkans, the future within the framework of European education policy is to share resources among themselves, namely from different universities from different Balkan countries. "Only in this way will we achieve convergence in the field of education between those who are already EU members and those who are about to join the EU," she said. She also pointed out that in this way, the region will arrive at the idea in which borders will no longer need to exist and people can talk about a common educational space.

The Bulgarian National Radio (BNR) is trying to look for bridges to Serbia, said BNR Director General Milen Mitev. Among the bridges he pointed out that in recent years Radio Sofia has had broadcasts produced from Tsaribrod and Pirot. "Last year, we made an agreement with the regional media Radio and Television Tsaribrod for the exchange of information and broadcasts, so that we can provide our content there as well," he noted. "In the Balkans, we have a long history of both unity and division. We hope that there is more ahead of us than just being together," Mitev stressed. He pointed out that the media seem to be better than politicians at looking for what unites people.

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.