NEWS

 

President Rumen Radev discussed the opportunities for effective implementation of the European Union's financial programmes for promoting grassroots sport among young people and investment in innovation at a meeting at Dondukov 2 with EU Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth at the European Commission, Iliana Ivanova. The two agreed that increasing incentives for innovation and speeding up the process of its introduction into the economy is key to the competitiveness of EU member states and the Union as a whole. The President emphasised the role of digitalisation and the need for increased integration of digital technologies in the economy and society - an indicator on which Bulgaria is ranked second to last according to the European Commission's Digital Economy and Society Index (DESI) for 2022.

 

The common position was that it is necessary to intensify the dialogue between national and European institutions for better awareness and accessibility of the public, NGOs and businesses to EU funds and programmes both in Bulgaria and in other EU member states. The President recalled the efforts of the caretaker government, led by Galab Donev, in this direction by holding numerous consultations and informational meetings in every region of the country, which led to a significant increase in the number of projects submitted under the Recovery and Resilience Plan.

 

The focus of the conversation was also the potential implementation with European funding of initiatives supporting sporting children in Bulgaria, grassroots sport and young people in the country from socially vulnerable groups, as a factor for their social integration and for overcoming regional imbalances in the country. Encho Keryazov, whose foundation in his name supports talented Bulgarian children in arts and sports, also participated in the conversation.

 

Promoting investments in expanding transport connectivity and in the energy sector was discussed at a meeting today between Head of State Rumen Radev and the President of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), Odile Renaud-Basso who is visiting Bulgaria in the context of the preparation of the Bank's new five-year strategy for this country.

The President of Montenegro is on an official visit to Bulgaria at the invitation of the Bulgarian Head of State

American business delegation visits Bulgaria at the initiative of the Head of State

High child poverty requires an adequate institutional response and real social integration, the head of state notes at a meeting with Eurochild President and President of Malta from 2014 to 2019.