Municipalities today

During the visit, specific steps for cooperation were planned in waste management, training and links between scientific institutes, as well as attracting foreign investors.

H.E. Yossi Levy-Sfari, Ambassador of the State of Israel to the Republic of Bulgaria, visited Stara Zagora Municipality today, accompanied by Roni Goldberg, cultural and scientific affairs advisor at the Israeli Embassy.

The meeting was hosted by Deputy Mayor for Transport, Environment, Investments, and Green Transition, Radostin Tanev; Deputy Mayor for Culture and Tourism, Milena Zheleva; and Iveta Lazarova, Chairperson of the Stara Zagora Municipal Council.

Radostin Tanev welcomed the diplomats and thanked H.E. Yossi Levy-Sfari for honoring Stara Zagora Municipality with their visit.

In response, H.E. Levy-Sfari expressed gratitude for the opportunity to visit the city and immediately expressed his desire for a more in-depth and longer visit to Stara Zagora. He emphasized the deep historical ties between the two nations, dating back over 100 years, and highlighted significant potential for strong partnership between Stara Zagora and Israel. H.E. Levy-Sfari noted Israel’s interest in active exchanges across various sectors, with a focus on waste management, implementing technological processes for biomass processing, and cultural and scientific exchange.

Deputy Mayor Radostin Tanev stressed that the municipality is making efforts to retain and attract young people to develop in various business sectors. Maintaining the energy sector and developing industry are prerequisites for establishing the city as a favorable business destination. According to him, the Stara Zagora region is currently transitioning from traditional industry to more environmentally friendly energy sources.

He added that, together with Trakia University in Stara Zagora, they are developing a project to produce electricity through a hydrogen system. Near-future investments are aimed at creating factories for manufacturing photovoltaic panels and high-capacity batteries, which will also generate new jobs in the city.

The diplomats discussed with municipal leadership a technology for producing electricity by processing waste. They also shared their experience in water management, including expertise in desalination to produce drinking water.

The Ambassador emphasized the need for policies for good water resource management beyond Israel. Deputy Mayor Tanev assured that the municipality has taken measures in this regard: the city’s water network has been recently renovated, and water is treated in purification plants. Minimizing losses of drinking water remains a continuous and responsible task for the municipal administration.

Roni Goldberg, advisor on cultural and scientific affairs, presented technology for processing agricultural waste to produce renewable energy. This method is applied in Israel’s peripheral regions, where scientific centers have been established specifically for this purpose. It simultaneously supports the local economy and environmentally sustainable energy use. They proposed sharing this experience at future meetings and appropriate forums.

Deputy Mayor Milena Zheleva spoke about cultural events and their significance for city life. She noted that Bulgaria and Israel can find common ground through cultural exchange and invited the Ambassador to participate in the next edition of the Opera and Ballet Festival, which enjoys significant international participation.

Iveta Lazarova, Chairperson of the Municipal Council, emphasized the shared vision and unified goals in the work of the Council and administration. Differences make dialogue possible, but important decisions are made by consensus, she said.

The visit concluded with planning specific steps for cooperation in waste management, training, and links between scientific institutions, as well as attracting investors. A potential meeting with local farmers to demonstrate the technology used in Israel for waste processing and management was also discussed.

Deputy Mayor Tanev noted that bilateral business delegations would provide a strong basis for cooperation, and this received support from the guests.

Source: Stara Zagora Municipality