Participation of the PABSEC International Secretariat to the online workshop “How has the Covid-19 pandemic affected Blue Economy in the Black Sea region? Potential response actions”, Athens, 16 June 2020
The PABSEC Deputy Secretary General Mr. Miltiadis Makrygiannis attended the online workshop titled “How has the Covid-19 pandemic affected Blue Economy in the Black Sea region? Potential response actions”, organized by the International Centre for Black Sea Studies (ICBSS), the Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC) and the EU Commission's Directorate General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (DG MARE), in cooperation with the Bulgarian Coordination of the Common Maritime Agenda.
The panelists and the participants exchanged views on the initial impact of the Covid-19 outbreak on key sectors of the Blue Economy in the Black Sea region, i.e. coastal and maritime tourism, maritime transport, fisheries and aquaculture. Particular attention was paid on identifying potential response actions, also through the regional framework provided by the Common Maritime Agenda for the Black Sea.
Mr. Stavros KALOGNOMOS, Executive Secretary, Balkan and Black Sea Commission (BBSC), Conference of Peripheral Maritime Regions (CPMR) was the moderator of the webinar and opening remarks were made by Mr. Alexandru ENE, Director for the Western Balkans and Regional Cooperation, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Romania.
Among the panelist was Mr. Christos ECONOMOU, Head of Unit Sea-basin Strategies, Maritime Regional Cooperation and Maritime Security, EU DG MARE, Mr. Peter JANECH, Senior Officer, Department for Europe, UN World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO), Ms. Nadezhda BUHOVA, Director of European Coordination and International Relations Directorate and Coordinator of the Steering Group on the Common Maritime Agenda, Ministry of Transport, Information Technology and Communications of the Republic of Bulgaria and Mr. Konstantin PETROV, GFCM (General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean) Subregional Coordinator for the Black Sea.
Mr. Makrygiannis pointed that the Blue Economy issue has been discussed during the 53rd Plenary Session of the PABSEC General Assembly since the protection of the marine environment in the Black Sea Region, along with other environmental aspects, occupies an important place, given the role that the region plays in the global economy, being primarily a transport and energy hub on the Eurasian continent. To this end, deepening of cooperation in blue economy sector is the key in obtaining a new impetus for the economic development in the BSEC countries.