The Mayor of Sozopol, Tihomir Yanakiev, and the Mayor of the city of Vize, Republic of Turkey – Erkan Uezalp, signed an agreement for non-refundable financial assistance for the reconstruction of the Summer Theater in Sozopol.

The project will be implemented within the framework of the Cross-Border Cooperation Programme Bulgaria – Turkey and is part of the Territorial Strategy for the development of the border region, Yanakiev announced. Activities are planned related to the study of the potential for agro- and cultural tourism and the creation of new tourism products, as well as increasing the competitiveness of the region through branding and the development of tourism activities.

The financial aid is 100 percent non-refundable, with the main object of the investment being the amphitheater in the Old Town of Sozopol. The project envisages increasing the number of seats, replacing the outdated lighting with new lighting, sound equipment, installing a fence with separate entrances and landscaping, as well as building dressing rooms, changing rooms and sanitary facilities, including those accessible for people with disabilities.

BTA reminds that the project "Expanding Strandzha – progress in the capacity for interaction of cross-border cultural heritage" was prepared in 2024. In July of the same year, representatives of the administration in Sozopol and Turkish partners held the first working meeting on the project within the framework of the Cross-Border Cooperation Programme Bulgaria–Turkey INTERREG 2021–2027.