Black Sea – EU Conference Fosters Regional Cooperation in Key Areas
Press Release | 10-Sep-2001
The Black Sea – European Union Conference hosted by Black Sea Trade and Development Bank at Makedonia Palace hotel in Thessaloniki attracted over 200 top officials and business leaders of the Black Sea region discussing ways and means of promoting closer economic cooperation in the region.
After opening remarks of Mr. Ersoy Volkan, President of the BSTDB, key speakers Ms. Anna Diamantopoulou, European Commissioner, Mr. Georges Paschalidis, Minister of Macedonia and Thrace, Mr. Mithat Balkan, Deputy Undersecretary of Foreign Affairs of Türkiye, Mr. Grigoris Niotis, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Greece, Mr. Valeri Chechelashvili, Secretary General of the Organization of Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC), Mr. Dimitrios Bakatselos, President of the Inter-Balkan and Black Sea Business Center, and other participants stressed the need for active and constructive international economic cooperation in the Black Sea region, which has vast potential for development but lacks investment and external financing.
The European Commission (EC) presented the main results of its study on the Black Sea region, which defined key perspective areas for international collaboration including energy, transport and environment.
BSTDB and the EC agreed to work together to foster cooperation in the region concentrating on concrete, practical business initiatives to be developed by BSTDB in collaboration with the relevant services of the EC. In this context, particular attention will be paid to the areas of transport infrastructure and environment indicated by Commissioner Anna Diamantopoulou at the Conference.
BSTDB welcomes the EUROBLACKSEA economic cooperation concept put forward in the EC study and is prepared to cooperate with the EC in the proposed areas of direct interest to the Bank, such as strategy for regional development and a Black Sea Fund.
BSTDB takes the initiative to elaborate shortly specific project proposals for joint implementation with the EU complementing its existing programmes designed for the Black Sea region.