site.btaBTA Hosts "Europe on Balkans" Conference in Kyustendil

A cross-border conference of the BTA series Europe on the Balkans: Cohesion Skills is taking place at the news agency's press club in Kyustendil Thursday. The event is part of a BTA project supported by the European Commission and brings together local government officials and educators.

The discussion is expected to cover novelties of the EU cohesion policy in the period 2021-2027 and results achieved in 2014-2020. The spotlight will be on education, knowledge and skills, and their link to the labour market, as well as other matters concerning young people.

The conference will be opened by BTA Director General Kiril Valchev. The proceedings will involve Kyustendil Regional Governor Alexander Pandurski and Mayor Ognyan Atanassov, town hall officials, the principal of a local farming high school, Zornitsa Domozetova, and Dr. Boyko Sokolov of the Trakia University in Stara Zagora.

BTA's project Europe on Balkans: Cohesion Skills 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. Until 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. The programme also includes cross-border conferences in Belgrade, Bosilegrad, Bucharest, Edirne, Skopje, and Thessaloniki.

The project builds on two earlier series of discussions, Europe in the Balkans: A Common Future and Europe in Bulgaria: A Common Future, implemented by BTA in 2023 and 2024, respectively.