On new green roads – Territorial and rural development conference successfully concluded

The professional event also highlighted the potential of green roads in the development of local communities and served as a platform for sharing national and international best practices. The opening lecture of the conference was held by  Attila Jámbor, head of the Institute of Sustainable Development and Ágnes Varga, head of department, then Zsuzsanna Farkas, head of department of the Ministry of Public Administration and Regional Development presented the main directions of the renewed regional development policy, with special regard to the breakout opportunities of small settlements and rural areas. In her presentation, Zsuzsanna Antal, also Head of Department of the Ministry of Public Administration and Regional Development, emphasized the community dimensions of regional development, highlighting the importance of professional cooperation between the government and regional actors. 

During the professional program, participants received a comprehensive overview of the Hungarian green path initiatives thanks to  Gábor Kiss, Vice-President of the Professional Association of Micro-Regional Developers,  while Viktória Lengyelné Bencze, secretary of the association, spoke about international good practices and the possibilities of connecting the role of the LEADER programme and greenways in rural development. At the end of the event, a professional roundtable discussion was held under the leadership of Tamás Eperjesi, Vice-President and Gyula Tar, Head of Green Section, where the practical implementation of local initiatives was presented through concrete examples. 

At the end of the conference, the organizers highlighted the decisive role of community-based development in future territorial and rural development strategies. The event offered new perspectives and opportunities for collaboration to promote sustainability and rural development.