Knowledge about the importance of the EU is essential for society, said Bulgarian Ambassador to Romania Radko Vlaykov during a cross-border conference as part of BTA's Europe on Balkans: Cohesion Skills project. The conference took place at the BTA National Press Club here on Tuesday.
"The meaning of such projects, such as that of BTA, as well as the meaning of cooperation with agencies such as Agerpres, is to resist the enormous power of the hybrid wars that are being waged against us, which aim to provoke Euroscepticism," Vlaykov stressed, adding that fake news and manipulations can be answered with only one thing, the truth. He pointed out that this is where the huge role of the media and cooperation in the field of education and science between the two countries lies.
Vlaykov also noted the traditionally good contacts between universities in Bulgaria and Romania, which have become much more intensive in recent years and are on very specific issues of the countries' contemporary development. He said that concrete projects are being implemented between Bulgaria and Romania in areas such as innovations of computer technologies. The ambassador also pointed out the excellent work of the Bulgarian-language electorates in Timisoara, Craiova and Bucharest.
Vlaykov emphasised that Romania is Bulgaria's second biggest trading partner and Bulgaria is in fourth to fifth place among Romania's trading partners. The ambassador noted the importance of the admission of both countries to Schengen, adding that business is already feeling the free passage, which eliminates waiting times at the borders and reduces the cost of transportation.
"When Romanian tourists began to actively visit Bulgaria, and Bulgarian tourists visited Romania, suddenly we encountered a changed mentality as a society," the ambassador said regarding the relationship between the two countries after the fall of communism, adding that a relationship of trust was created between Bulgarian and Romanian societies on a European basis. The identical geopolitical orientation of Bulgaria and Romania is also of great importance for this, he pointed out.
Vlaykov said that the two countries together understand the responsibility they bear for the security and stability in the region, as well as for the prosperity of the people in the region. He noted that currently the best developing area of relations between the two countries is cooperation in the field of security and defense. He stated the importance of their cooperation in the Black Sea and recalled the initiative of Bulgaria, Romania and Turkiye in the Black Sea Mine Countermeasures Task Group, as well as the importance of the role that the countries are about to play in restoring security and navigation in the Black Sea.
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.
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