Participation of the PABSEC International Secretariat in the online panel discussion Actions Rather than Words for the Blue Economy in the Black Sea Region, 3 June 2021

Ms. Milena Ljubinkovic, Secretary of the PABSEC Economic, Commercial, Technological and Environmental Affairs Committee took part in online panel discussion "Actions Rather than Words for the Blue Economy in the Black Sea Region" held online on 3 June 2021.

The panel discussion organized by the "Delphi Economic Forum" was moderated by Mr. Spyros Kouvelis, Director, EPLO Institute for Sustainable Development, former Minister of State for Foreign Economic, Cultural, and Environmental Affairs and former MP of the Hellenic Republic. In the discussion participated Ambassador Michael B. Christides, Secretary General of the BSEC PERMIS, Mr. Teodor Melescanu, former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Romania, Mrs. Anna Diamantopoulou, President of DIKTIO - Network for Reform in Greece and Europe, former European Commissioner, former Minister and Mr. Steven Schonberger, Regional Director, Sustainable Development Department for Europe and Central Asia of the World Bank.   

The project entitled "Blueing the Black Sea" was presented at the meeting. It was stated that the BSEC PERMIS has assumed the implementation of the project that is funded by the Global Environment Facility and promoted by the World Bank. The project's objective is to strengthen economic, technical and communication tools in order to promote regional collaboration and private sector engagement for pollution prevention in the Black Sea.

Participants of the meeting also exchanged views on the overall advancement and further promotion of blue economy in the Black Sea region, on the implementation of the Common Maritime Agenda for the Black Sea (CMA) and on the necessity for more regional infrastructure investments in sectors envisaged by the various CMA goals, such as marine pollution, energy, tourism and culture.