site.btaBTA's Europe on Balkans Conference Held in Kazanlak

Representatives of various sectors who have worked on projects supported by the EU Cohesion Policy participated in a conference at the National Press Club of the Bulgarian News Agency (BTA) in Kazanlak on Wednesday. The event was part of BTA's "Europe on Balkans: Cohesion Skills" project.

Kazanlak is the Bulgarian rose of the European Union, BTA Director General Kiril Valchev said. "In the rose we can see not only the symbol of Bulgaria as part of the EU, but also its connection with the rest of the world and Europe in particular," he emphasized, recalling that there are drawings of roses on murals in the palace in Knossos on the Greek island of Crete from 3700 BC and in Italy's Pompeii from the 1st century AD, while the first mention of rose water is in the 9th century from Persia, today's Iran. In the 10th century, rose water was brought to Spain, while the damask rose came to Bulgaria from Turkiye, Valchev noted. He pointed out that in the Nigerian state of Plateau, a Nigerian businessman who graduated from higher education in Bulgaria maintained plantations of Bulgarian oil-producing rose at the beginning of this century, while in Hanoi in Vietnam, they hold a festival of the Bulgarian rose. 

Through initiatives like BTA's project “Europe on Balkans: Cohesion Skills", young people are given the opportunity to reflect on the skills they need to stay competitive in the future - both individually and as a society, said BTA Deputy Director General Evgenia Drumeva. “This project helps young people ‘synchronize their watches’ and think about the skills they need to develop to remain competitive - not only as individuals but as a country,” Drumeva told the participants.

Kazanlak Municipality has implemented projects worth over BGN 500 million for the three programming periods so far, said Kazanlak Mayor Galina Stoyanova. “Today I thank BTA for this conference, because this is a chance for our position to remain in history regarding the Euro Readiness Assessment and the adoption of the euro as an important step in the development of Bulgaria and Bulgaria’s participation in this union of equals,” Stoyanova emphasized. She noted that the topic of the conference is how Bulgaria is close to Europe in terms of education, knowledge and culture. Since Bulgaria’s accession to the European Union, local authorities and the state can benefit from European funding to support the development of the regions, she pointed out.

Kazanlak is among the ten best-developing towns in Bulgaria, which is mainly due to the economy, but also to tourism and the town's cultural sphere, Kazanlak Municipal Council Chair Nikolay Zlatanov said. He pointed out that the revenues from local taxes and fees amount to about BGN 10 million and that attracting about EUR 100 million for various projects is life-saving for Kazanlak, just like for every municipality in Bulgaria. Zlatanov noted that the successful development of the Municipality and the attraction of European funds, despite serious competition between municipalities, is due to the good communication between the Municipal Council and the Municipal Administration, which is led by Kazanlak Mayor Galina Stoyanova. 

Every year, the number of small and medium-sized entrepreneurs applying for European funding increases, Stara Zagora Deputy Regional Governor Levent Palov said. He pointed out that not only the number of small and medium-sized businesses, but also the number of small and medium-sized semi-market farms applying for the absorption of European funds through European projects is increasing. “Every year, the percentage of applicants increases (...) in the absorption of these funds thanks to the fast communication and coordination between the institutions. People are satisfied and express a desire to apply,” he noted. 

Kazanlak Municipality shares in the emergence of Stara Zagora Region among the largest economic centres in this country, said Stara Zagora Deputy Regional Governor Petko Karagitliev. “As a resident of Kazanlak Municipality, I live in one of the most important cultural and economic centres of Bulgaria. It is no coincidence that this conference is taking place in Kazanlak today. I believe that the town is exceptional, and with the Rose Festival, the culmination of which is coming up, we can see the beautiful face of Kazanlak,” Karagitliev emphasized.

Kazanlak Municipality is working on 26 projects worth BGN 2.1 million under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP), Regional Information Centre Manager Radka Tileva said. She pointed out that a total of 116 contracts have been concluded so far under the NRRP, worth a total of BGN 26.5 million, adding that the contracts give schools the opportunity to build STEM class rooms. She emphasized that according to the European Commission, the understanding of knowledge includes three pillars. These are education, social inclusion, science and innovation. "For each of these pillars, in each partnership agreement that our country signs with the European Commission, we set out the policies that we want to happen, we want to be funded and for which we will work," she stressed.

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.