“The Black Sea Economic Cooperation Organization should increase its efficiency and become powerful enough so as to change the direction toward a real policy of internal regional cooperation.” This is what Vice-president Iliana Yotova said, who took part in the summit dedicated to marking the 25th anniversary since BSEC was established in Istanbul. The forum was attended by the presidents and prime ministers of Moldova, Greece, the Russian Federation, Romania, Georgia and Turkey.
In the Bulgarian Vice-president’s view, BSEC has the potential to become an additional factor for connecting the national markets in the region. “BSEC has to prove its importance by launching concrete projects in important spheres of regional cooperation in the Black Sea region – energy, transport infrastructure, security and environment,” Iliana Yotova emphasized.
The Vice-president highlighted the importance of the relations with the European Union and added that it is high time the two organizations took more pragmatic actions.
On the other hand, the BSEC members should show that they are motivated enough for regional cooperation and the joint implementation of projects, and do not solely rely on the EU and NATO for the development of the Black Sea region, Iliana Yotova said.
“Bulgaria will take over the presidency of the Council of Europe in less than eight months and one of its priorities will be to strengthen the EU policies related to the Black Sea countries,” the Vice-president said.
In Iliana Yotova’s words, migration and the refugee wave are key challenges the security, stability and economic cooperation in the whole region are facing, therefore the contacts and the cooperation between the individual countries should be strengthened. The security of the Black Sea region is a prerequisite for ensuring the security of the whole of Europe, Iliana Yotova said.
In her address to the participants in the summit, the Vice-president emphasized that BSEC is an important forum for a political dialogue between the member states and the most developed organization in the region and as such it has assumed the responsibility to ensure security and new opportunities for the development of the citizens.