“All the projects are the result of excellent cooperation between municipalities and the cooperation and support of our Ministry," said Mr Đurov during his visits to the municipalities.

He said that at the end of March, the Ministry launched a joint call for regional development agreements to co-finance projects in 12 development regions under European Cohesion Policy objectives. “The novelty will allow funds to be reallocated between regions on a sector-by-sector basis, depending on the quality and feasibility of projects, which brings greater financial autonomy to the regions and may already be a model for regionalisation in a broader sense.”

"By including new measures in the programme, we are addressing the challenges municipalities face in co-financing public infrastructure. We plan to include measures to revitalise public infrastructure facilities, build public tourism infrastructure and encourage the development of private tourist accommodation with higher added value. I believe that this is very important information for all 85 municipalities of the programme.”

The programme will also include measures to encourage initial investment, subsidies for business start-ups, project co-financing for graduates to cooperate in business development projects, construction and expansion of business zones and incubators (focus on incubators) and promotion of border problem areas. The objectives of the programme are to improve the quality of life, transport accessibility, accessibility to services, economic situation, preservation of settlements and revitalisation of border problem areas.