Council for Regional Development under Head of State Holds Meeting in Smolyan

Smolyan, Southern Bulgaria, April 7 (BTA) - Speaking at a
meeting of the Council for Regional Development and National
Infrastructure under the head of State here on Tuesday,
President Rosen Plevneliev said that balanced regional
development and the use of each corner of the country's
potential is a strategic priority.

According to Plevneliev, the Council is a useful tool of the
Bulgarian state system for finding solutions and agreement on
the national priorities. "Our main strategic and programme
documents already place a clear focus on overcoming the economic
 lag of individual regions in the country," he said.

Deputy Prime Minister Tomislav Donchev, Regional Development and
 Public Works Minister Liliyana Pavlova, Tourism Minister
Nikolina Angelkova, Economy Minister Bozhidar Loukarski, Smolyan
 Regional Governor Nedyalko Slavov, representatives of the local
 authorities, employers' and nongovernmental organizations from
the region took part in the Council meeting, which discussed the
 state policy on encouraging the economic activity in Bulgaria's
 underdeveloped and disadvantaged regions.

Plevneliev said that for decades Bulgaria has witnessed negative
 trends in the deepening of internal regional differences. The
Bulgaria 2020 National Development Programme sets as priority
the reduction of the inequality in regions' social, economic and
 infrastructural development and strengthening of the processes
of bringing them closer together, he said.

The Government's programme for the stable development of
Bulgaria in 2014-2018 set a clear priority related to
development of the economically lagging regions, the head of
State added. According to him, the Cabinet has also started
working on an investment programme in support of the 
underdeveloped regions' development.