Ekaterina Zaharieva: Bulgaria is Ready to Assist Municipalities in Neighbouring Countries
16 June 2018 News
‘The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bulgaria is in charge of development policy, and it would like to be of help to its neighbours,’ Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Ekaterina Zaharieva said during her meeting with Kosta Yanevski, the mayor of the town of Strumitsa, the Republic of Macedonia.
‘I call on all municipalities to be active,’ Minister Zaharieva addressed her host. ‘This policy does not have a lot of money at its disposal, but it serves to fund projects that are not covered by other programmes,’ she added. The Minister stated that the programme served to assist small, but socially significant, projects. Those, for instance, include refurbishing roads between villages, renovating schools, kindergartens, and others.
The mayor of Strumitsa thanked the Bulgarian Minister for the assistance received on two such projects. The first included the provision of a vehicle for people with disabilities. Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borissov personally presented the keys during the joint meeting of the two governments in Strumitsa. The second project – the reconstruction of a building with a view to setting up a centre for children and adults with disabilities – is in its design stage.
Mr Yanevski stated that he had always enjoyed a good partnership with his colleagues from the Bulgarian towns closest to Strumitsa, and that over the past months this partnership had deepened.
‘The development of the relations between our two countries over the past year shows that we always have to work together,’ Minister Zaharieva agreed, and added that the growing intensification of relations in various spheres can only lead to benefits for both countries.
She cited the signing of the Amity, Good-neighbourliness and Cooperation Agreement within the first five months of which bilateral trade has grown by 11%, and tourism by 10%, as an example of that.
‘The Agreement set a good example and a spirit of dialogue for the region,’ the Minister said, adding that Bulgaria’s engagement with the European prospects of the Western Balkans would carry over in the next rotating presidencies of the Council of the EU.
‘We have a very important Council ahead of us on 26th of June. Bulgaria is making great effort, and I hope that following this Council we will have a decision to open negotiations with the Republic of Macedonia,’ Bulgaria’s highest-ranking diplomat added.
The Minister discussed youth unemployment in Strumitsa, which currently stands at over 50%, with her hosts from the town. Minister Zaharieva agreed that this was a problem that required tackling. As a good example, she cited the successful initiatives involving funds targeting start-ups. Three such funds have been in operation in Bulgaria now, funding start-ups not just in the country but also in its Balkan neighbours.
‘An exchange related to this is worth considering,’ the Minister noted.
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