Cohesion is at the core of the idea of the European Union, Sliven Mayor Stefan Radev said during a local conference as part of BTA's Europe on Balkans: Cohesion Skills project. The conference took place at the BTA National Press Club here on Friday.
"Without a targeted cohesion policy, we risk having highly polarized regions. We are currently in a very important time, when a major debate is taking place in Europe about the future of cohesion policy", Radev stressed. He noted that it is very important to hear the position of local authorities and that it must be adopted by national authorities as well. "We cannot sacrifice or compromise with cohesion policy, at the expense of other policies," Radev said.
"Europe cannot be put before a choice whether to have more missiles or more schools, whether to have more tanks or more healthcare. We must have both," he emphasized, adding that education is at the heart of everything that is happening and will happen in the world. "It is our duty to create conditions for education," he stated, pointing out that a number of schools and kindergartens in Sliven have been completely modernized and renovated through the cohesion funds. According to him, these are basic policies related to the future and development of the city and the region, aiming to attract and retain young people, as well as give self-confidence to children and students.
Radev expressed gratitude to BTA for the media presence in Sliven, which, he emphasized, has undergone a qualitative change in recent years. "The presence of BTA is definitely more visible, more significant, more substantial," he said.
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.
/MR/
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