Sofia: Memorandum of cooperation for cross-border cooperation in the border region of Serbia and Bulgaria signed

24. Nov 2022.
The Central European Service for Cross-Border Initiatives (CESCI Balkans) organized a meeting in Sofia on the occasion of the finalization of the strategic plan of the Council of Europe Academy for Leaders program for cross-border cooperation in the border region of the Republic of Serbia and the Republic of Bulgaria.

A Memorandum of Cooperation was signed, with a special emphasis on strengthening cross-border cooperation as an essential tool for achieving social and economic goals and territorial cohesion.

Ambassador of the Republic of Serbia in Bulgaria Željko Jović congratulated the participants and pointed out that creating cross-border connections between neighbouring communities is the key to creating a safe and sustainable future for young people in the region.

The event was attended by Niall Sheerin, program manager at the Council of Europe, Ervin Eros, director of CESCI Balkans, Sanda Šimić, representative of the Ministry of European Integration, Vladica Tošić, president of Euroregion Nišava, Dragan Kostić, president of Pirot Chamber of Commerce, Dragana Tončić, the head of the Pirot district and Milena Dimitrijević, president of the Pirot City Assembly, as well as representatives of Babušnica, Bela Palanka and Dimitrovgrad, as well as the Sofia region, Vrace, Dragoman, and Slivnica.

The participants agreed that the agreement confirmed that the benefits of cross-border cooperation are not limited to the integrated development of border areas, but are essential for achieving peace, prosperity and stability in Europe.