Deputy Minister Velik Zanchev: Connectivity and Sustainable Development in the Black Sea Region

Improving connectivity and sustainable development in the Black Sea region will be among the priorities of our policy during the Bulgarian Presidency of the Council of the European Union. This was stated by Deputy Minister of Transport, Information Technology and Communications, Velik Zanchev during the Information Day in the context of the forthcoming European Maritime Day - Burgas, 2018. The event was held today at the Permanent Representation of Bulgaria to the European Union in Brussels. The participants in the event were the deputy mayor of the Municipality of Burgas, Ruska Boyadzhieva, the executive director of EA “Maritime Administration” captain Zhivko Petrov, representatives of the European Commission and others.

“The implementation of the European Maritime Day within the Bulgarian mandate is a way we can work towards reducing the differences in the Black Sea region, to apply the high standards and policies of the EU and to deploy it”, added Deputy Minister Zanchev .

In the draft program of the Bulgarian Presidency, an integrated macro-regional approach to the Black Sea region is set as one of the priorities. This includes improving its transport, communication and infrastructure connectivity.

Deputy Minister Velik Zanchev presented the Bulgarian policy of the Black Sea region during the upcoming EU Presidency before representatives of the European Commission and officially invited all interested parties to visit Bulgaria and to participate in the European Maritime Day in Burgas.

"I would like to emphasize that Bulgaria attaches particular importance to the security in the Black Sea region and in this respect encourages the strengthening of the coordination between the relevant EU structures, including in relation to the rapidly changing geo-strategic environment, addressing the challenges to maritime security in this region. We will rely on support and assistance from the EC for the implementation of the program and our priorities during the Bulgarian Presidency” said also Velik Zanchev.

The European Maritime Day will be held in Burgas in the period of May 31 - June 1, 2018.