Teodor Meleşcanu: Romania supports strongly the Black Sea regional cooperation

The Romanian foreign minister answered a question of the blog ”Bridge of Friendship” at a joint press conference with the Bulgairan ambassador in Bucharest

Vladimir Mitev

This article was published on 16 January 2018 at the site “Baricada”. 

”The problems of Danubean and Black Sea regions should occupy a higher place on the EU’s agenda”, said the Romanian foreign minister Teodor Meleşcanu during a press conference in the representative office of the European Commission in Bucharest. The press conference took place on 15 January 2018. Hours after it the prime minister Mihai Tudose resigned as a result of a political crisis within the government`s ranks and a conflict with the strong man in the Social Democratic Party Liviu Dragnea. However press conference`s topic was not the political crisis, but the priorities of the Bulgarian presidency of the EU, which has just started. They were presented by the Bulgarian ambassador in Romania Todor Churov. The event was visited by almost 50 diplomats and journalists from 21 media, including the blog ”Bridge of Friendship”.

Asked by the Bulgarian site what concrete initiatives could give sense and content to the Romanian interests towards the Black Sea region during the forthcoming Romanian presidency of the EU – and whether the idea for European macroregion of the Black Sea is among them, Meleşcanu answered that Bucharest sees its interest in two directions of activity. The first one is the mutual encouragement for Black Sea countries’ development in the frameworks of the various regional structures for cooperation. The second one is EU’s stronger involvement in the region, which would mean not only more European funds for it, but also transfer of knowledge, values and good management. According to Meleşcanu such activity would inevitably bring the EU and the countries of the Black Sea region closer.

The full recording of the question towards the Romanian foreign minister and his answer can be seen with English subtitles here:

Read in Romanian language!

Read in Bulgarian language!

About Author

Vladimir Mitev

Vladimir Mitev is a Bulgarian Romanian-speaking journalist. He has interacted with many Bulgarian and Romanian media outlets, including Bulgarian National Radio, Mediapool, all major Bulgarian television stations, Darik Radio, and more (Bulgaria); Radio Romania, The Liberal Community 1848, all the major Romanian television stations; DoR; Libertatea; PressHub; and others (Romania); The Analysis, Acorn Radio (USA); Open Democracy (UK); voxEurop (France); the Observatory for the Balkans and the Caucasus; The Other News (Italy); The Institute for Central Europe (Poland); Argument (Czechia); Merce (Hungary); Bilten (Croatia); and Agora (the Republic of Moldova).
He promotes the idea of non-hegemonic, mutually empowering interactions in Central and Southeastern Europe that could contribute to the formation of a dynamic regional identity and connect citizens to the global community.

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