Cultural cross-border co-operation among Balkan's countries with the case of Serbia and Bulgaria

Abstract

Cultural cross-border cooperation includes all fields of cross-border cooperation and gives base for main connections and interactions. Without strengthening cultural cross-border cooperation, it is impossible to build significant relations between neighbors. Culture, as a foundation, an activator and a purpose of development in cross-border regions, represents a cardinal and conditional factor of cross-border cooperation. Today's situation in the Balkans reveals ethnic diversity of this region and territorial dispersion of ethnic groups. This implies at the same time great cultural diversity as well as dispersal of various national cultures over the Balkan's states. During the 20th century Serbia and Bulgaria have very complex political and intrastate relations. But in the last 10 years there have been significant improvements in the cross-border cooperation between Serbia and Bulgaria. The results of these improvements are established Euro-regions and implemented cross-border projects between these two countries. Existing Euro-regions between Serbia and Bulgaria created links between various local authorities and made excellent basis for cross-border initiatives and joint projects to promote common interests across the border and cooperation for the common good of the border areas populations. The well managed cultural cross-border cooperation between these two countries will provide a clear view of common features and raise common identity for the region, contribute to tolerance and understanding between people in this area and enable them to overcome the peripheral status of the border region in their countries and improve the living conditions of the population

Implementation of Sustainable Tourism in the German Alps: A Case Study

“…We want to avoid the situation that every community in the Alps is a lone fighter, and this way every community in the Alps can find its own solution to the present problems." Sustainability of the EU depends on the cooperation of the neighbouring countries, which is why cross-border cooperation has been used as an important tool to promote and advance sustainability principles among EU member countries [44]. However, our research showed that there is also some criticism of the EU cross-border financing, in the sense that: " .…”

“…This need especially becomes obvious in a situation when interests at the national level of the two neighbouring countries do not coincide with the need for cross-border collaboration at the regional level [43]. However, on the EU level, it has been recognized that sustainability depends on the cooperation of the neighbouring countries, which is why cross-border cooperation has been used as an important tool to promote and advance sustainability principles across the EU [44]. Freeman [45] defines a stakeholder as any individual or group that can affect or is affected by achievement of the organization's objectives.…”

Harmonization of socioeconomic policy and institutional set-up for efficient operation on Nepal-India open border small business

“…Regarding easy access to import and export goods in the boarder, there is mixed response -53% of the total respondents argue that border access is easy for them to import goods while other 47% respondents state that it is difficult to export and import goods. Hence, as Stojkov & Nikolov (2008) mention that without strengthening cultural cross-border relation, it is impossible to build strong links and cooperation between neighboring nations. In case of Nepal-India border business too, government should take initiatives for systematizing cross-flow to strengthen small business activities.…”

Tourist lodging, spatial relations, and the cultural heritage of borderlands

“…There is also an emerging literature on the role of divided places as important border attractions. This includes villages and cities, as well as historic sites, culture regions, and natural areas (Blasco, Guia, & Prats, 2014;Stojkov & Nikolov, 2008).…”