Lilyana Pavlova: Today we officially start the Territorial Cooperation Programmes

Today we officially start 12 Programmes for interregional, transnational and territorial cooperation for the new programming period. That said the Minister of Regional Development and Public Works, Lilyana Pavlova, during “European Territorial Cooperation in the Republic of Bulgaria - achievements lead to new perspectives” Conference. These Programmes are with considerable budget totaling EUR 1,2 billion, through which we will implement successful projects together with our partner countries. Our aim is to develop the infrastructure in the cross-border regions, to improve the cultural exchange, to create partnerships and especially to know each other and to work together, said she.

The main objective of the Cross-Border Cooperation Programmes – to be supported the less developed regions, is one of the leading government policy, noted Pavlova. The Regional Minister emphasized that even though being with less budget in comparison with the Operational Programmes the Cross-Border Programmes play significant role for the improvement of the cooperation between the municipalities, the business and the non-governmental organizations both in the cross-border regions and between the partner countries. Europe is Europe of the regions, therefore we should neither set borders between us nor divide. ‘We should have joint projects, common initiatives and also work together, observing the principles of nice neighbourhood, said she.

The Minister thanked the experts in MRDPW, as well as the partners that took part in the development of the Programmes. She explained that due to the experience regarding the instrument for territorial cooperation on which Bulgaria have been working since 1994 until now, our country is among the first countries succeeded in developing and submitting such Programmes to the European Commission. Owing to that fact and the active work on the most Programmes, the first calls for project proposals for the new programming period have already been opened as for some of them the assessment of the project proposals have started, informed Pavlova.
 
The Minister reported that during the previous programming period the implementation of the Programmes has led to very good results, adding that we have managed to not lose funds from them. The objectives were achieved in June 2015, said she. Lilyana Pavlova announced that lots of excellent projects were implemented during the previous programming period, as the best of them would be awarded that day on an official ceremony in during the current event.

‘We have potential, capacity and experience in order to have even better projects and practices in the future,’ said Minister Pavlova emphatically. ‘This is our strength here, on the Balkans - to unite and work together,’ stated she.