site.btaBTA Hosts “Europe on Balkans” Conference in Shumen

A conference of the BTA series “Europe on Balkans: Cohesion Skills” will be held at the national news agency’s press club in Shumen today, May 21. The project is being implemented with the support of the European Commission.

The conference will be opened by Shumen Regional Governor Katya Ivanova. The list of participants also includes Shumen Mayor Hristo Hristov and Deputy Mayor for Budget and Finance Desislava Petrova, Shumen University philosophy professor Dobromir Dobrev, Regional Information Centre Director Irena Stefanova, Smyadovo Deputy Mayor Dimitrina Marinova, Shumen University Projects Centre Director Dragomir Marchev, Regional Education Administration Chief Kremena Marinova, Sava Dobroplodni High School Foreign Languages Head Teacher Plamena Ilieva and students from that school, who participated in roundtable discussions on “Our Europe,” held at the BTA Press Club in Shumen on the initiative of former Regional Governor Dobromir Dobrev and BTA correspondent Stanimir Savov.

The conference will discuss EU cohesion policy novelties in the period 2021-2027 and results achieved in 2014-2020. Special emphasis will be laid on skills as a driver of regional development and the contribution of Bulgaria and the Balkans to the development of Europe.

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.