16 – 18 October 2023, Sofia, Bulgaria

This year’s Forum of Francophonie, Multilingualism, and Cooperation in Europe brought together high-level officials of EU Member States, Senior EU officials, directors of schools of government/institutes/schools of public administration from EU Member States as well as the wider European Political Community, and other higher education establishments and interdisciplinary research networks in the European Union and beyond.

Aimed to advocate for Francophonie and multilingualism to foster cooperation in Europe through education and training, the program featured three key events: a political conference addressing the challenges of national and European public action, a conference of field specialists aimed at revitalising multilingualism within European institutions and across Europe and a seminar for young Europeans on the theme Energy and Climate: Environmental challenges in higher education in the context of Europe.

Ms Iliana Yotova, Vice-President of the Republic of Bulgaria, H.E. Mr Joël Meyer, Ambassador of France to Bulgaria, Mr Slim Khalbous, Rector of the Agency Universitaire de la Francophonie and Mr Anguel Bandjov, Director of Human Rights at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Bulgaria reflected on the importance of cultivating multilingualism and cooperation in Europe.

ReSPA Director contributed to the panel discussion “What future for multilingualism in national, European and international administrations?” moderated by Professor Jean-Michel Eymeri-Douzans, Deputy Director of Sciences Po Toulouse for International Relations, President of the European Group for Public Administration-GEAP, Brussels.

Handjiska-Trendafilova presented ReSPA flagship learning and capacity-building initiatives tailored to best fit public servants and ongoing efforts to bring the values and benefits of multilingualism closer to the region. "ReSPA is passionately dedicated to bringing the region together and forging stronger #connections with esteemed EU platforms to infuse European standards into Public Administration Reform," said Handjiska Trendafilova.

The meeting was also an excellent opportunity to present ReSPA’s extensive work and exchange with the directors of institutes/schools of public administration from the EU Member States, the wider European Political Community, and other higher education establishments and interdisciplinary research networks in the European Union and beyond.

Continuous learning is the guiding light in pursuing a more dynamic, efficient, and responsive public administration. Strong collaboration with prestigious learning institutions helps us in ReSPA enrich learning initiatives. Empowered civil servants are the beacon of progress in the quest for a brighter, more efficient, and responsive public administration, and ReSPA works on this growth.