From left: Ambassador Tove Skarstein, Rossitza Velinova, Minstry of Education and Science, Deputy Minister Svetlana Lomeva. Photo: Elina PavlovaOpening speech by Ambassador Tove Skarstein at the Information seminar on the Scholarship Fund for Bulgaria.
Radisson Blu, 15 October 2009
Dear Deputy Minister Lomeva,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Good afternoon.
The information meeting today marks the launch of the Scholarship Fund for Bulgaria. I am delighted to take part in this event. I would like to thank you, Deputy Minister Lomeva, for co-hosting the seminar and your team at the Scholarship Fund Operator for organising it together with us.
Although Norway is not a member of the European Union, we cooperate in the closest possible way with the EU through the European Economic Area Agreement. The EEA Agreement is in fact Norway’s most important international agreement, which makes the country an integral part of the EU common market. Since 2004, the three non-EU countries -Norway, Lichtenstein and Iceland - have been contributing to economic and social cohesion of the new EU–member countries into the Union through the EEA Financial Mechanisms.
Bulgaria joined the EU in 2007 and thus 41.5 million euros have been made available in the country for a period of two years. As you will know, the EEA Financial Mechanisms for Bulgaria were launched in late autumn 2007 along two tracks: the EEA Grants Programme, administered by the Ministry of Finance, and the Norwegian Bilateral Cooperation Programme, entrusted to the Norwegian state owned company Innovation Norway. We also launched a specific NGO-fond in June last year to strengthen the civil society.
These financial instruments are historic opportunities for increased cooperation and contacts between Bulgarian and Norwegian institutions, non-governmental organisations, business communities and now academic institutions.
Promoting education and research and contributing to human resource development is part of my government’s top priorities in all international cooperation.
The objective of the Scholarship Fund which is launched today, is to promote cooperation and partnerships between educational and research institutions in Bulgaria and the donor states – Norway, Lichtenstein and Iceland. For that purpose, grants will be made available to students, researchers, teachers and university staff for study or work periods in the EEA EFTA states. The Fund has a budget of around 600 000 € which has to be utilized by end of April 2011.
Norwegian is currently being taught at the University of Sofia and the University in Blagoevgrad. Through a bilateral agreement students in Scandinavian studies have been participating in student mobility programmes for quite many years now. I am often times impressed by their abilities and achievements. I always say that foreign students who have had the opportunity to study in Norway are our best ambassadors.
I believe that the Scholarship Fund will be an useful tool to enlarge the scope of the educational cooperation in many other areas and will prove very beneficial to increased relations between our countries.
I am convinced that fruitful contacts between representatives of the academic institutions from Bulgaria, Norway, Lichtenstein and Iceland will be established already today.
Finally. I hope that subsequently many individuals will take part in the Scholarship Fund. This is an unique opportunity to gain new experience in connection with their studies or work. It is also a great possibility to learn about each others’ culture, traditions and history. Cooperation of this kind strengthens knowledge and mutual understanding. Ultimately it is in fact a peace building measure.
I wish you a very constructive and successful seminar. Thank you very much for your attention.