Participation of Mr. Miltiadis Makrygiannis, PABSEC Deputy Secretary General, in the 9th International Black Sea Symposium on Blue Growth as a driver for regional development, Athens, 20 - 21 March 2018
Mr. Miltiadis Makrygiannis, PABSEC Deputy Secretary General, attended the 9th International Black Sea Symposium on Blue Growth as a driver for regional development, which took place in Athens during 20-21 March 2018.
During the meeting, four thematic sessions explored specific aspects of Blue Growth, namely:
Interregional Cooperation & Institutional Capacity, Supporting Entrepreneurship & Increasing Competitiveness, Investing in people, skills and services and Increased knowledge & Mitigation measures.
As it was pointed by most of the participants, Blue growth is a long-term strategy for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth related to the marine and maritime sectors. Encompassing a wide spectrum of diverse maritime activities, blue economy contributes to the creation of favorable conditions for economic growth, sustainable development and social welfare.
Mr. Miltiadis Makrygiannis limited his point to the condition of the marine environment in the Black Sea region, which is a necessary precondition for the blue growth. The protection of the environment has been a matter of primary interest of the BSEC since its inception, clearly highlighting the need for enhanced regional cooperation for the protection of the Black Sea marine environment. Integration of environmental concerns into economic sectors strategies and promotion of sustainable development is a priority, which should be considered at the national level but could have an impact at the regional level, particularly in the transboundary context. In this regard, development of economic and financial instruments as incentives for the protection of marine environment is a crucial aspect for all the BSEC Member States.