The first call for applications under the Cooperation Program between Bulgaria and Turkey 2021 - 2027 has been opened

"With the program for cross-border cooperation between Bulgaria and Turkey 2021 - 2027, our request is to be as up-to-date as possible with a solution for the needs in the region. In the shortest possible time, they can start the measures laid down in it to deal with illegal migration, which poses serious challenges at the moment." This was said by the Deputy Minister of Regional Development and Public Works, Desislava Georgieva, at the opening of the first meeting of the Monitoring Committee under the program (Interreg VI-A) Bulgaria Turkey 2021-2027 in the city of Edirne yesterday. Among its priorities are supporting businesses in the green transition and integrated territorial development. Its total budget is EUR 34.4 million.

The participants in the meeting approved the Application Guidelines for the strategic project of the program. €1.7 million of its budget will go towards training, exchange of experience and good practices to increase the capacity of police departments to deal with migration. More measures to improve security will be financed, as well as the supply of specialized equipment to increase the technical readiness of project partners. Strategic partners from the Bulgarian side will be the regional directorates of the Ministry of Internal Affairs in Haskovo, Yambol and Burgas, and from the Turkish side - the administrations of the provinces of Edirne and Kirklareli. The project will be financed under the specific objective "Improving migration management" under the third priority of the program "A more secure cross-border region". This is reported by the MRRB.

During the meeting of the Monitoring Committee, the progress in the implementation of the Cross-Border Cooperation Program Interreg-IPP Bulgaria - Turkey 2014 - 2020 was reported. A total of 101 joint projects with a total value of 28.7 million euros were financed under it. The implementation of 98 of them has been completed successfully. The disbursed funds are 24.6 million euros or 83% of the program budget, and the certified funds are 22 million euros or 73%. Under the strategic project "Cross-border regions collaborate for Blue Growth" (BLUE GROWTH COLLABs), research laboratories at the University "Prof. Dr. Asen Zlatarov" - Burgas and Thrace University in Edirne, which are looking for an application field of scientific developments to deal with pollution in the Black Sea.

The recommendations made from the interim evaluation of the program for the period 2014-2020 for the use of a combination of strategic projects and grants were taken into account both in the announcement of the third call - for a strategic project, and in the preparation of the program (Interreg VI-A) Bulgaria Turkey 2021-2027.