Denitsa Nikolova: The development of tourism and the cultural and historical heritage are prerequisites for economic growth in the Danube region

Improving the management of the Danube Strategy was the focus of the meeting of the National Coordinators in Sofia

Deputy Minister of Regional Development and Public Works and National Coordinator for the Danube Strategy Denitsa Nikolova chaired a meeting of the National Coordinators, which took place today in Sofia. She welcomed the representatives of the Member States, the European Commission, the Danube Transnational Program and Interact with the planned activities within the Bulgarian Presidency of the Strategy, highlighting the contribution of tourism and the cultural and historical heritage in achieving economic growth, employment and connectivity between the countries of the Danube Region

"By using the full potential of the existing macro-regional strategies, we must work to improve the attractiveness of the Danube region and to create synergies between existing instruments, policies and programs," said Deputy Minister Nikolova and stressed that Bulgaria is adopting the Danube Strategy as an opportunity for partnership and support for the implementation of joint strategic projects between Member States, which will contribute to the achievement of its objectives”.

The participants in the meeting discussed the challenges and prospects for the Danube Strategy and shared the view that the implementation of a coherent approach in defining strategic projects recognized by the various stakeholders at national, regional, macro-regional and European level is crucial for the successful implementation of the macro-regional strategies in the future cohesion policy.

Our country is a rotating chairman of the Danube Strategy for a year. The events held in this connection are part of the calendar of the Bulgarian Presidency of the Council of the EU due to the important place of the macro-regional strategies in its priorities, and the fact that they set the framework for the implementation of the European policies in the region they cover.