BULGARIA

2010

• Niš City Mayor Miloš Simonović and Sofia Deputy Mayor Ivan Georgiev Sotirov signed the Protocol on Cooperation between the City of Nis and City of Sofia departments in the field of responding to emergency crisis and natural disaster situation. This is the first protocol of this kind in Serbia and the City of Sofia chose Niš because of its systematic approach to management of emergency situations. The signed protocol is in accordance with Nis City Safety Strategy which envisages Regional Center for Responding to Crisis Situation in our city and this is the first step in the realisation of the planned projects.

• The Mayors of Niš, Sofia and Skopje met in Sofia to discuss the possibilities of expanding the cross - border cooperation and the future activities within the project EU - Region. This meeting was the opportunity to define the priorities of the common regional development in the triangle Niš - Sofia - Skopje. These three local self-governments will do everything within their jurisdictions to intensify the cooperation between the business communities primarily. EU - Region Niš - Sofia - Skopje covers 66 municipalities and 2 million people in three countries. The City of Sofia will present this project to the EU member states and it would search for the funds to finance the activities within this project. The establishment of the national teams was agreed at this meeting. Their task would be to develop project activities.

• Serbia and Bulgaria will finance construction of the future gas pipeline from Dupnica to Niš with European funds. The European Commission set aside 60 million Euros for that project. The agreement on construction of gas pipeline, which would transport gas in both directions, would be signed by the representatives of Bulgartransgas and Srbijagas.
  The plan is to complete the construction of the gas pipeline prior to 2012. The length of the gas pipeline is 106 km. Niš City Mayor Miloš Simonović said that the construction of this gas pipeline was the result of the request sent by the City of Niš to Serbian government in relation to the process of intensifying the gasification and more stable provision of gas to the industry and households in the South and East of Serbia.  

2009

• City of Niš was the venue of the meeting of the Joint Monitoring Committee second session under Bulgaria –Serbia IPA Cross Border programme. The general objective of the Programme is to strengthen territorial cohesion of the Bulgarian–Serbian cross-border region, its competitiveness and sustainability of its development through co-operation in the economic, social and environmental area. By implementation of projects on the current program the following goals are to be reached: to strengthen sustainable economic development in the cross-border area; to encourage social cohesion and cross-border cooperation; further development of regional attractiveness and improving regional well being in cross-border area. The documentation needed for First Call for project proposals and application package were defined at the meeting. The total amount envisaged to be allocated under first call for proposals will be 7.3 million Euros. The programme includes the following districts in Serbia: Borski, Zaječarski, Nišavski, Pirotski, Jablanički i Pčinjski. The following regions from Bulgaria are included: Vidin, Montana, Sofia, Pernik, Ćustendil and the City of Sofia. RS Ministry of Finance is the Serbian national coordinator for the implementation of this programme. Bulgarian Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works is the Bulgarian partner in programme coordination. The City of Niš secured the office for antenna office out of which the programme is administered.
• Niš City Mayor participated at the national conference held in Sofia dedicated to transparency and publicity in the actions of ther egional and municipal administrations organised by the Foundation for Transparent Regulations with the financial assistance  of the Operational Programme  - Administrative Capacity, co-financed by the European Union through the European Social Fund.
• Niš City Mayor and Niš City Council members met with the delegation of the Sofia City administration led by Sofia Vice-Mayor. Two delegations agreed that efforts on the promotion of regional development should be joined in order to achieve faster economic development.  They also discussed the process of preserving the cultural and historical heritage within urban development. Bulgarian delegation offered to the City of Niš the possibility to participate in the project whose objective was the development of the unique act on cultural heritage preservation for all the countries involved in the project. Other potential partners are: Graz, Paris and Barcelona. The projects would be financed from EU funds.

• First branch store of the French hypermarket Mr. Bricolage chain offering home improvement and do-it-yourself goods was opened in Niš. The Bulgarian company Doverie Brico became the sole shareholder of Brico Spec doo Belgrade, a Serbian registered company created to take the Mr. Bricolage brand to Serbian market. This DIY store chain includes more than 705 stores all over the world and they employ about 11.000,00 workers in all stores. Over the next few years, Doverie Brico plans to develop four more Serbian stores. 75 Niš citizens have been employed. This investment is 9 million Euros. 

2003

• The project of cross-border cooperation in the triangle of Niš-Sofia-Skopje, initiated in 2001, obtained its internationally recognized form through the signing of the Eurobalkans International Association statute.

2002

• As a part of the project for intensification of cross-border cooperation in the Nis-Sofia-Skopje triangle, the Economic Forum was held in Sofia, in February, co-organized by the cities of Nis, Sofia and Skopje, with active support of the EASTWEST Institute. This international event resulted in reaching very important decisions which contributed to removing all existing obstacles to free and easy communication of people, goods and services of these three countries and within Nis-Sofia-Skopje triangle. It was agreed at the Forum in Sofia that the next meeting would be held in Skopje in September 2002, which would also be the venue for setting up the bases of the first Euroregion in this part of Europe.

2001

• The Conference, co-organized by the City of Nis in cooperation with the Council of Europe, was intended as the official launch of the EastWest Institute (EWI) Project 'Re-integration of the border regions between FRY, Bulgaria and Macedonia: Sustainable Regional Development through Institutionalized Trans-frontier Cooperation in the Niš-Skopje-Sofia Triangle', part of the EWI Program on Trans-frontier Cooperation (TFC). The Project aimed to re-establish political, economic and civic links between these border communities and support the eventual formation of an operational Euroregion. It aimed to further societal and political reform as well as economic development in the border regions concerned by tackling local and regional problems via common trans-frontier solutions. Project activity specifically targeted local governments, NGOs for regional and community development and cultural cooperation, youth/student organizations, higher education and research establishments, Chambers of Commerce and the local business community in the border regions of Serbia, Bulgaria and FYROM, supporting the construction of cross-border institutional frameworks for sustainable cooperation.

2000

• In August 2000, US Ministry for State Affairs approved donation in the amount of 168.000,00 dollars for assistance in the areas of health care, environmental protection, communal services and education within the project (SMAP – Serbian Material Assistance Program). The donation was realized through partnership activity with cities of Sofia (Bulgaria), Columbus (Ohio) and Niš (Serbia) within International Resource Cities program whose material support was provided by USAID. SMAP program was realized by mutual cooperation of ICMA (International City/County Management Association) and Fund Chance for Stability from Szeged.

• The representatives of the Zeljo Zelev Fondation from Sofia visited Niš within the project of forming Balkan Political Club. This project was supported so far by UN, German government, European commission and it was expected that the next Stability Pact for South East Europe meeting would be dedicated to the issue of establishing Balkan Political Club.