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

The Bulgarian News Agency (BTA) on Friday held a local conference in the coastal city of Burgas as part of the Europe on Balkans: Cohesion Skills project with the support of the European Commission. 

Science, education and innovation will be key in the high-tech world of artificial intelligence, said BTA Deputy Director General Evgenia Drumeva as she opened the conference. She recalled that the project was started on November 1 in the town of Veliki Preslav and that it is the eighth joint project with European Union institutions since 2021, adding that with it BTA focuses on the European Union's cohesion policy in the field of knowledge, including science, education and innovation. Drumeva stated that this area is already key in today's high-tech world and will be even more important with artificial intelligence playing a growing role, hopefully, in assisting people and not in replacing them.

Scientific activity should not be interrupted, as Europe needs it, said Yordanka Chobanova, Head of the Representation of the European Commission in Bulgaria. She pointed to Burgas as an example of successful implementation and development of projects financed by the European cohesion funds, calling the city an emblem. From 2007 to 2024, more than 4,000 projects financed with European funds have been implemented in the Burgas Region, with investments in the city alone amounting to over BGN 700 million, Chobanova pointed out. She also noted some of the successful projects implemented by the municipal administration and higher schools and added that the blue economy is one of the solutions for a successful future, pointing out that it is an area where significant investments will be made.

Based on an in-depth analysis of the economic environment and business needs, the Burgas Municipality opens new vocational classes and branches of higher education institutions such as the Sofia University and the National Academy of Arts, said Burgas Deputy Mayor Mihail Nenov. He gave two positive examples of the educational microclimate in the municipality, the first being related to the Kliment Ohridski Elementary School in the Rudnik district, a segregated school with all students from Roma ethnicity. The school successfully developed vocational training classes in car painting and signed contracts with car companies like Mercedes and Toyota in order to teach students professional skills. The other example was related to the opening of the Professional School for Computer Programming and Innovation, which Nenov emphasized is part of the city's pride, as it showed how new schools were opened in Burgas during a time when they were closing in other cities across the country. He also presented the latest project of Burgas Municipality for a student campus, the construction of which will also be financed with funds from European programmes.

Burgas Regional Information Centre Manager Ana Yancheva thanked BTA for its partnership over the years, with which they help each other to be ambassadors of the European cohesion policy at the regional and national level. Yancheva presented the centre with an established network of 27 sites in every regional city. She noted that some may say these are many, but the idea is that they are accessible, with consultations being provided professional and free. "In order to promote our activity, to promote cohesion policy, to support the activity of governing bodies, to all those involved in the entire activity and implementation of this policy, we organize various events, logistically support forums, European initiatives, an many other events. The communication is timely and purposeful," Yancheva emphasized.

We are in an environment where more and more attention is paid to the so-called Economy 5.0, related to the development of AI, stated Petar Garov, Head of the Department Verification - Southern in the Main Directorate for European Funds, International Programmes and Projects in the Labour and Social Policy Ministry. "We need to be ready with answers for these two big transformations - the digital and the green," stressed Garov, adding that in order to meet these challenges, there is a serious financial resource set aside. He presented some of the Ministry's current activities financed by the European Union. In his words, when it comes to cohesion policy, many measures are already underway, including the application for a voucher for training in basic and intermediate digital skills for unemployed and employed people. This measure is funded under the Recovery and Resilience Plan and is worth nearly BGN 370 million, targeting 500,000 citizens to benefit from it, Garov.

Through this initiative, BTA aims to raise public awareness and foster open dialogue about cohesion policy, local achievements, and the implementation of the EU's policy priorities. Between November 2024 and 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.