Month: March 2017

Balkans & Black Sea Cooperation Forum official presentation to the Accredited Diplomatic Missions and Organizations in Greece has been concluded on Tuesday March 28^th 2017 at King George Hotel in Athens.

The presentation was attended by 45 Diplomatic Missions that have been represented by 60 Diplomats (15 at Ambassadors’ level).

The Presentation was delivered by:

a) Mr. Ioannis Moisiadis
Governor | Regional Unit of Serres
Member Steering Committee | Balkans & Black Sea Cooperation Forum

b) Mrs. Siwarde J SAP
Senior Advisor Economic Affairs | Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands
Member Steering Committee | Balkans & Black Sea Cooperation Forum

c) Mr. Giannis Balakakis
President | Geo Routes Cultural Institute
Chair Organizing Committee | Balkans & Black Sea Cooperation Forum

Giannis Balakakis has provided technical information on the Forum including the Aim, the Scope, the Agenda & Speakers, the Deliverables, as well the Hosting City, the Honorary Countries and the process of candidacies about a country will be hosting the Forum on 2018.

The day was concluded with a networking Cocktail Reception, courtesy of King George Hotel

About the Balkans & Black Sea Cooperation Forum:

The Balkans & Black Sea Cooperation Forum© aims at highlighting cross‐border cooperation, enhancing bilateral and multilateral relations, strengthening business opportunities and promoting economic growth and sustainable development among the states of the Balkans and Black Sea region. At the cross section of public & business sectors, the Forum stands as a think-tank to outline the current situation, quote political indicators, navigate to growth and cooperation and monitor perspectives and SDGs towards 2030.

Rotating annually in a different country of the region, Forum is addressed to Senior Officials from the EU, the Balkans and the Black Sea Bodies & Institutions, International Organizations, Public Officials, Diplomats, Businesses, Entrepreneurs and Academia, whilst providing a Business HUB and a Cultural Zone to promote the tourist & cultural identity  of two Honorary Countries.

The city of Serres in northeastern Greece, the second-largest city in the province of Macedonia after Thessaloniki, is to host the first-ever Balkans and Black Sea Forum (BBSF) on May 25-26.
The forum will be attended by EU officials, representatives of Balkan and Black Sea organisations and institutions, international organisations, diplomats, business leaders and members of the academic community, who will discuss a series of crucial issues at the forefront of international current affairs.

The organisation of the conference will be handled by Geo Routes Cultural Institute (GRCI), operating under the aegis and with the support of international organisations in Europe and the Black Sea regions – such as the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC), the Black Sea Trade and Development Bank (BSTDB), the European Banking Federation (EBF) and the Conference of Peripheral Maritime Regions (CPMR) – acting in collaboration with the Serres Regional Section.
GRCI head Yiannis Balakakis noted that the forum is a new initiative that is starting in Greece and aims to boost cross-border cooperation and promote bilateral and multilateral relations, as well as economic ties and sustainable economic growth, between the 17 countries in the region.
The main theme of the 2017 BBSF will be “Cultural Tourism, a key to Sustainable Growth” in line with the UN resolution naming 2017 as International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development. The forum will take place annually, at a different location each year, with tributes to two countries each year.

The Athens-Macedonian News Agency (ANA) is a sponsor of the Balkans and Black Sea Cooperation Forum. The countries participating include Azerbaijan, Albania, Armenia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Georgia, Greece, Croatia, Moldova, Montenegro, Ukraine, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovenia and Turkey.