Deputy Prime Minister Karadjov: Corridor Eight should become part of the main Trans-European Transport Network

"Our region must be a place of peace, security and stability. And this cannot happen without the European integration of the countries of the Western Balkans."

This was stated by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Regional Development and Public Works Grozdan Karadjov in a video address to the participants in the International Conference on Regional Development "Challenges and Prospects for Regional Development in the Western Balkans" in Pristina. The event is hosted by Kosovo Regional Minister Fakrim Damka. The conference is attended by the Prime Minister of Kosovo Albin Kurti, the Minister of Local Self-Government of the Republic of Northern Macedonia Goran Milevski, representatives of the line ministries and agencies of Turkey, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Albania and more.

According to Minister Karadjov, improving transport connectivity in the region is key. That is why our country, together with the Republic of Northern Macedonia and Albania, must insist to the European Commission that the routes along Corridor 8 become part of the main Trans-European Transport Network.

"The Balkans need modern railways, airports, safe roads and highways so that people can travel freely, do business and communicate with each other," he said. He added that balanced regional development is important because in order to have a modern and economically strong Europe, we must have strong regions without sharp differences in the economy and standard of living.

"This is a major priority in Bulgaria's regional policy," said the Deputy Prime Minister, so in the coming years our efforts will be focused on implementing a new regional approach that takes into account local needs and potential in each territory.

The head of the political cabinet of the Minister of Regional Development and Public Works Katerina Gramatikova also took part in the conference. She presented the initiative of the Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works to establish a Regional Development Fund.

"This is a new instrument for targeted subsidies to less developed regions in the country, financed from the state budget with an indicative amount of BGN 1 billion," Gramatikova explained. The fund will help municipalities to improve services of general interest and landscaping.

In the panel on regional policies in the Balkans, Desislava Georgieva - Director of the Directorate for Territorial Cooperation Management at the Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works presented the potential of cross-border cooperation as an element of strong regional policy.

"Economic and health crises, climate change and natural disasters know no borders, and through cross-border cooperation projects, communities on both sides of the border are learning that together they can find more sustainable solutions," Georgieva said. According to her, this type of projects provide a solid basis for continuing cooperation after the expiration of projects, joint initiatives, transfer of know-how and more intensive cohesion.

At the conference, the representatives of the Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works shared the experience in the development and implementation of regional development policies, oriented to the needs, requirements and competitive advantages of the territory. The focus of the presentation was the concept of integrated territorial development in Bulgaria, which encourages cooperation between the authorities, the non-governmental sector, academia, business to find the most appropriate solutions to territorial problems.

The added value of the integrated approach to coordinating the various financial instruments, public, private, national and international, was emphasized.