Prime Minister Borissov and Minister Kralev closed the European Youth Conference and presented European youth goals

Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borissov and the Minister of Youth and Sports Krassen Kralev closed the European Youth Conference, that which took place over three days on 17-19 April 2018. was organised by the Ministry of Youth and Sports within the frameworks of the Bulgarian Presidency of the Council of the EU. The event was attended by more than 250 young people from 40 EU member states, Western Balkans and East Partnership. Mr. Tibor Navracsics - EU Commissioner for Education, Culture, Youth and Sport, Ms. Alanna Armitage - UNFPA Regional Director for Eastern Europe and Central Asia, Ms. Jayathma Wickramanayake - UN youth envoy, Ms. Eva Maydell - Member of the European Parliament (GERB/ EPP), and Ms. Vanya Koleva - Deputy Minister of Youth and Sports also attended the closing ceremony.

Minister Kralev presented the European youth goals formulated during the conference, which are the first of their kind and will be used as a direct recommendation to the European Commission with regard to the European Youth Strategy.

After 3 days of work,The young delegates united around the following 11 priorities:

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  Sustainable and green Europe;
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  Information and constructive dialogue;
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  Equality of all genders;
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  Youth organisations and European programmes;
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  Connecting EU with youth;
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  Quality employment for all;
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  Quality learning;
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  Moving rural youth forward;
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  Mental health and wellbeing;
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  Inclusive societies;
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  Space and participation for all.

Prime Minister Boyko Borissov outlined that three parallel events are being held in Sofia today - the European Youth Conference, the forum “Shaping Europe’s Digital Future: HPC for Extreme Scale Scientific and Industrial Applications”, and the Presidency conference “Educate to Create: From Digital Consumers to Digital Creators”. As he said, the three events refer to the youth development. Borisov highlighted that the European Youth Conference unites and gives young people the opportunity not only to put the important issues on the agenda, but to get actively involved in the decision-making processes.

The Prime Minister He emphasised that Bulgaria has plenty of examples of young people, under the age of 30, who are part of the legislative or executive structures at local, legislative and executive power, members of the European Parliamentnational and European level.

“This year we managed to take integrate another 20 000 children into the classrooms in Bulgaria, . Mmost of them are from Roma origin, but there are many other as well. And I am happy that the government made education its major topic, which is on the topone of its main priorities. We increased teachers’ salaries twice, we digitalized everythingsupport digitalisation, we repaired the school infrastructure and continue our way in this direction”,

Mr Borissov further said.

In addition, Boyko BorisovThe Prime Minister also highlighted that he is very happy thatthe participation of representatives of the Western Balkans, and of the Balkans in general, are attendingat the event. “If many qualified young people from the Balkans leave the region, its competitiveness drops.

“It is not by chance that the expression “Balkans are the back yard of Europe” has become a bad phrase, which is however popular. Actually, the Balkans are among the most beautiful places in the world. Unfortunately, wars started mainly from here, and even the most recent conflicts in Kosovo. I would like to express my sincere thanks to the European Commission that it started the negotiations both with Macedonia and Albania. However, Kosovo and Bosna and Herzegovina may not remain outside Europe - like black holes. And the political elite there, and we all here should make all efforts to help. And because our colleagues in Europe believed in that, the European Council Summit with the Western Balkans leaders will be held here on the 16th and the 17th of May. Our colleagues believed, became sure, and after the Berlin Process we know that the Western Balkans should be joined to where they belong in geographical and historical aspect - to Europe”,

the Prime Minister added.

Boyko Borisov noted that skillful and qualified young people from the Balkans go to the developed European countries.

“The aging generations stay here and it is more difficult to get them qualified. Thus, the competitive power of the Balkans drops down. The demographic crisis overwhelms us and we will really remain the back yard. This is why we need to help, to insist, to encourage, to train by any means possible in order to make young people stay on the Balkans”,

Borisov he said.

The Minister of Youth and Sports Krassen Kralev said stated that the European yYouth gGoals formulated during the conference prove that together, young people from the EU member states, the Western Balkans and the Eastern Partnership are fully able to outline the future youth policies in Europe.

“The foundation that we all builtd-up together here together will help us to continue the systematic policy of both the government and the Ministry of Youth and Sports in the youth sector. And after the end of our Presidency of the Council of the EU, Bulgaria will continue its efforts for the inclusion of the Western Balkan countries through effective partnerships with the UN, UNICEF, UNFPA, the European Commission and the Council of the EU”,

Minister Kralev added.

Tibor Navracsics, EU Commissioner for Education, Culture, Youth and Sport, stated: thanked the Bulgarian Presidency, the Ministry of Youth and Sports, the non-governmental organisations and the youth councils for the organization of the event.

“This conference is being held at the right time, as the debate for the future of Europe is at its heights. Young people should be a part of this debate as the future belongs to them. Europe should be strong, should be open, local communities should be strong, and this obliges us to give young people the opportunity to raise their voice, to train them, to give them the required skills to enable them to take life in their own hands, to support others and to gain maximum benefits from the opportunities the knowledge-based world gives them.”,

Navracsics said and He underlined that the proposed goals will be taken on board during the preparation of the new European Youth Strategy that will be presented in May.

UN Youth Envoy Jayathma Wickramanayake welcomed the Bulgarian Presidency’s focus on including young people. also congratulated the Bulgarian government for its efforts in the youth field during the Presidency of the Council of the EU.

“We from the UN really have what to learn from you when it comes to consultations with young people. It is not a surprise that young people are the driving force ofd many important matters, such as peace and security, which are a priority on the EU agenda”,

Wickramanayake she said.

The UNFPA Regional Director for Eastern Europe and Central Asia regional director for East Europe, Ms. Alanna Armitage, congratulated the Ministry of Youth and Sports for the wonderful organisation.

The Youth Conference was organised by the Ministry of Youth and Sports within the framework of the Bulgarian Presidency of the Council of the EU. The event was attended by more than 250 young people from 40 countries, including EU member states and partners from the Western Balkans and the Eastern Partnership. Tibor Navracsics, EU Commissioner for Education, Culture, Youth and Sport, Alanna Armitage, UNFPA Regional Director for Eastern Europe and Central Asia, Jayathma Wickramanayake, UN youth envoy, Eva Maydell, Member of the European Parliament (EPP), and Vanya Koleva, Deputy Minister of Youth and Sports attended the closing ceremony.