On 26 March 2008, a regional seminar was conducted in Varna (at the Black Sea Coast) hosted by Varna municipality. The aim of the seminar was to present the EEA Financial Mechanism and the Norwegian Cooperation Programme with Bulgaria. A press conference took place in the morning, before the official opening. More than 180 participants, mainly from Bulgaria but also some from Norway, attended the plenary session.
04/04/2008
::
The seminar was opened by H. E. Ms Tove Skarstein, Norwegian Ambassador to Bulgaria and Mr. Kiril Yordanov, Mayor of Varna. Ms A.Vezenkova from the Ministry of Finance, and Ms Anne Lise Rognlidalen, Commercial Counsellor - Norwegian Cooperation Programme, Royal Norwegian Embassy, provided practical information on the two programmes, respectively. Ms Rognlidalen also gave an overview of the registered interest in the Norwegian Cooperation Programme so far (7 individual project applications and 26 seed money applications). The interest to date is mainly in the domains of energy efficieny and sustainable production.
Three workshops were conducted in the afternoon on human resources, health and child care and sustainable production. The participants had the opportunity to ask questions and make clarifications in terms of application procedures and establishment of partnership.
The workshop on sustainable production was focused specifically on promoting the Norwegian Cooperation Programme among NGOs. Ms Gjunnbjorg Naavik, from the National Association of Municipalities in Norway (KS), presented the activities of the association and the specific role of the NGOs in Norway, and highlighted the different opportunities for cooperation.
The seminar agenda is available
here.
Also attached below you will find: