site.btaEdirne Balkan Health Forum Seeks Stronger Regional Healthcare Ties

The border city of Edirne hosted a two-day Balkan health forum over the weekend, organised by Turkiye’s Ministry of Health, the Edirne Governorate and the International Health Services organisation (USHAS). 

Minister of Health Silvi Kirilov participated together with his counterpart from Turkiye, Kemal Memisoglu. The two ministers held a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the event.

"In Edirne, during the Balkan Health Cooperation Forum, we held a very productive meeting with the Minister of Health of our neighbouring and allied country, Bulgaria, Silvi Kirilov, and his delegation. I am confident that our discussions will further strengthen the unity between our countries and expand opportunities for cooperation,” Memisoglu said on his social media profile.

Health ministers from 12 Balkan countries, senior representatives from the industry, and leading academics took part in the discussions. The topics included international quality standards, investment opportunities in the health sector, the modernization of medical services, and the role of universities as factors for innovation.

Bulgarian Ambassador to Turkiye Angel Cholakov and the Rector of Trakia University in Stara Zagora Dobri Yarkov took part in the event. Yarkov said that his university is strengthening its role as a factor in cross-border academic initiatives and innovation in education, science, and medicine. He added that the university’s presence in Edirne is an acknowledgement of its contribution to shaping the healthcare vision of both Bulgaria and the region.

Delivering the opening address, Memisoglu stressed the importance of strategic cooperation, investment in health tourism and the integration of innovative medical technologies as the foundation for the region’s sustainable health-system development.

Ambassador Murat Ahmet Yoruk, the Turkish Foreign Ministry’s representative in Edirne, told delegates that Turkiye is one of the Balkans’ leading investors, including in healthcare. He said Turkish direct investment in Balkan countries had reached USD 18 billion by 2023, while total bilateral trade with the region stood at USD 32 billion.

Organisers said the forum is consolidating its role as a key platform for forging transnational healthcare partnerships by bringing together public institutions, the private sector and major academic centres.