NEWS

Greece hands over BSEC chairmanship to Moldova

Greece hands over BSEC chairmanship to Moldova

Government Vice President and Foreign Minister Evangelos Venizelos on Friday, during the 31st Meeting of the Council of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the BSEC Member States, stressed the need for the organisation to avoid becoming a forum of general political discussions and confrontations as a result of the political tension in the wider area.

He underlined that it must remain a forum where specific plans for development, cooperation, progress, welfare and employment in the area of Black Sea are promoted, adding that the Black Sea is a market of 350,000,000 residents, auspicious for the development of transport and energy networks.

Greece held the BSEC chairmanship in the second half of 2014 and during the 31st Meeting handed it over to Moldova's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Natalia Gherman, who congratulated Venizelos on having met the targets.

Gherman said that the priorities of the Moldovan presidency are stability, peace, economic growth, prosperity and regional cooperation around the Black Sea.

Moreover, she said she would give special emphasis on promoting trade relations, creating free trade zones, and developing transport, health and tourism.

Venizelos also expressed his content over the Meeting of Foreign Ministers and noted that it was represented by all BSEC member states, at a high level.