We cannot achieve sustainable development without equal distribution of educational and research infrastructure in Europe, Rumen Radev stressed at a meeting with EU Commissioner Elisa Ferreira

 

Europe's cohesion policy must create new opportunities to overcome regional imbalances in Europe and in the member states. This is what head of State Rumen Radev said at a meeting today with Elisa Ferreira, EU's Commissioner for Cohesion and Reforms. The two discussed the challenges facing the regions related to the climate and digital transition within the EU, as well as the effective use of EU funds to achieve a fair transition towards a green economy.

 

Achieving sustainable development and social and economic cohesion are impossible without an even distribution of educational and research infrastructure between Western and Eastern Europe, Rumen Radev stressed. Investments in the development of human capital, education, training and qualification are much more challenging than those in the improvement of transport infrastructure, was the common position during the meeting. In order to strengthen the convergence process, a balance is needed between investments in infrastructure and in science and education, as well as the establishment of criteria for managing investments and reporting on results, Rumen Radev and Elisa Ferreira further noted.

 

A number of European countries are facing demographic challenges, which requires targeted policies to improve the quality of life, especially in the countries of Eastern and Southern Europe, Rumen Radev said. We cannot continue our full development if we do not tackle the demographic and regional inequalities in Bulgaria and do not direct our efforts towards a more equal development of the Bulgarian regions, President Radev further said.  

 

The President and Elisa Ferreira also touched on the transition to a climate-neutral economy, which is a serious challenge for this country in social and economic terms. The head of State highlighted the projects to improve the use of renewable energy sources in Bulgaria and to produce and export green hydrogen from solar facilities. The President also stressed the need to develop a new energy strategy for Bulgaria, which would clearly define the approaches to transforming coal-fired power plants, the use of which would become increasingly unprofitable due to the rising prices of greenhouse gas emissions in the EU.