site.btaBTA's Europe on Balkans Closing Conference Held in Varshets

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

BTA Director General Kiril Valchev opened the conference by noting that the Europe on Balkans: Cohesion Skills project with the support of the European Commission aims to tell about the exchange of knowledge between people in Bulgaria and the Balkans and people from the rest of the EU. He emphasized that thanks to BTA's National Press Clubs, the whole of Bulgaria and Bulgarians in neighbouring countries have become part of the joint national and European conversations on the project organized by the agency, with a total of 40 conferences taking place in 38 National Press Clubs. He emphasized that the final conference in Varshets is a sign that people need to look at the Northwestern region of Bulgaria from a different perspective, which is usually listed among the top two poorest regions of the EU. "Because the first person treated with mineral water in Bulgaria was in Varshets in the mid-19th century, before the Bulgarian state was restored, and the first bathhouse here was built in 1910, soon after the Liberation from Ottoman slavery," Valchev stressed.

“The development of a democratic society is possible only when there are free, independent media that expose the lies and deception and are a real corrective to the authorities,” President Rumen Radev said. He added that the forum has a broad outlook on regional imbalances in Bulgaria, on natural resources and on the prospects of the Northwestern region in Bulgaria, and on knowledge, talents and Bulgaria's future as an equal member of the EU. In his words, to make all this a reality, “we must have the strongest tools, namely information and knowledge”. “How we will use them depends a lot on the media. Our attention to the media should not weaken, on the contrary, we should be highly engaged in what is happening with our media,” Radev said.

These days of the year are some of the most beautiful, as the scale of Bulgaria's letters, books and faith are presented and Bulgarians realize how bright their imprint is on the European peoples and how all Europeans are one, feeling proud and united, Head of the European Commission Representation in Bulgaria Yordanka Chobanova said. She cited the latest Eurobarometer statistics, according to which 83% of Europeans say that science and technology are important and have a positive impact on life. "On the other hand, however, it is met with a lot of skepticism and distrust among the population. One-third of people dispute the human impact on climate change. RNA vaccines saved hundreds of lives, but at the same time they were victims of conspiracy theories that undermined faith in science," she stressed, adding that being a scientist today means defending the truth and scientific evidence and doing so even when few people are listening to you. "Being a scientist is a calling,” Chobanova stated.

Varshets Mayor Ivan Lazarov said that “Varshets is a beautiful and modern town with modern infrastructure, perfect urban planning and tourist attractions.” He noted that hosting such a forum was a privilege for both himself and the residents of Varshets, adding that the town has many spa and wellness hotels. Varshets is also home to iconic landmarks such as the Sycamores Alley and the second-largest pine tree park in Bulgaria after the Boris Garden Park in Sofia.

Knowledge is the most convertible part of the life of modern societies, Sofia University Rector Prof. Georgi Valchev said. He emphasized that knowledge has a universal character and the changing situation of the 21st century shows that the battle will be in three main areas, namely for natural resources, for a new type of energy, and for new technologies and qualified human potential. "This is why investments in education and science are truly key and things are developing at an extremely rapid pace there," he pointed out. Valchev said that Bulgarian universities, including Sofia University, fit well into the framework of policies pursued in Europe and the world. "We are recognizable, we are desirable partners in many scientific projects and fields," he stated, adding that technologically, many new centres have been created thanks to investments from Europe.

Knowledge is memory, but knowledge is also a bridge between generations, Varna University of Management Rector Prof. Krasimira Staneva said. "In our university, we try to create and maintain this bridge between generations with the help of European funds," she emphasized, adding that two areas stand out in the portfolio of the Varna University of Management. One is shared knowledge, and the other is innovation.

Burgas Free University Rector Prof. Milen Baltov said that the battle for minds and the battle for the future is connected to globalization and the fact that Europe is somewhat lagging behind. He noted that the European Commission declared Burgas Free University an European University of Islands, Ports and Coastal Territories. "In this direction, we see the achievement of the scale and internationalization that is so necessary," Baltov emphasized. He pointed out that the university's portfolio of projects is diversified as a source of funding and that it has focused thematically on several areas, including blue economy and circular economy.

2025 is another key year for European investments in Bulgarian education, said Ivan Popov, Head of the Managing Authority of the Operational Programme Science and Education for Smart Growth 2014-2020 and Head of the Managing Authority of the Education Programme 2021-2027. He recalled that on May 9, the final report on the Operational Programme Science and Education for Smart Growth was submitted. “With this, we have officially concluded it. And we can congratulate ourselves on significant results,” he pointed out, adding that 16 new research centres were built in Bulgaria under this programme, with over 1,000 scientists working in more than 350 high-tech laboratories in them, and over 90,000 student internships have been carried out under various projects.

Bulgaria is facing a number of challenges, including the digital transformation and the green transition, but the demographic picture, which is extremely negative, is perhaps the biggest challenge the country must overcome in order to be preserved as a nation, Tsvetan Spasov, Head of the Managing Authority of the Human Resources Development Programme at the Labour and Social Policy Ministry, said. He presented the Discover Bulgaria campaign, developed together with the European Commission, which is aimed at Bulgarians living abroad. Spasov stressed that in the past 35 years, over 2.5 million people have left Bulgaria, going abroad to seek better opportunities, and over 80% of them have higher education and high qualifications. “We must take measures to try to draw them back. These are people who would return with new knowledge, with increased qualifications, with enthusiasm, with optimism, ready to fight to prove themselves back in their homeland,” 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 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.