site.btaUPDATED BTA Holds Kick-off Conference for EU-Backed Project Aiming to Raise Awareness about Cohesion Policy in Bulgaria

The new aspects of the EU cohesion policy in 2021 and the results achieved during the 2014-2020 programming period are in the focus of the kick-off conference for a EU-backed project titled "EU in BG: Cohesion Future" held in Sofia Thursday. The project is implemented by the Bulgarian News Agency (BTA) with the support of the European Commission.

The project aims to raise awareness about the EU cohesion policy and encourage open dialogue on cohesion, the results on local level and the role of the implementation of the political priorities of the EU.

In his opening remarks, BTA Director General Kiril Valchev said that the point of the cohesion policy is to keep Bulgarian people in Bulgaria.

"At the start this conference, I have a message about two things that cannot be bought with the EUR 330 billion that will be invested between 2021 and 2027 in cohesion policies, through structural funds and through the Cohesion Fund. The first thing that cannot be bought is friendliness. As long as countries in the EU are opposed to Bulgaria's - and possibly Romania's - accession to Schengen, whatever money is poured, the feeling will remain that we are not close. Some people just cross from one country to the other without noticing there is a border while others have to wait for hours at the border," Valchev said. 

The second thing that money cannot buy is knowledge about one another.  "No matter how much money is spent for educational programmes, knowledge about each other cannot be crammed into people's heads. We, the news media have a huge responsibility to help people know each other. BTA is an example of what the future of cohesion through knowledge is", said Valchev.