Wednesday, November 19, 2014

Deputy Foreign Minister Dimitris Kourkoulas attended the Launch Conference of the EU Strategy for the Adriatic and Ionian Region (EUSAIR) on November 18 in Brussels, which was co-organized by the European Commission and the Italian Presidency of the EU. The aim of the event was to gather all key actors to create the framework for its implementation. The governance and management structures of the Strategy, currently under development, will be organised around its four pillars, namely: "Blue Growth", "Connecting the Region" (Transport and Energy), "Environmental Quality" and "Sustainable Tourism."

The Hellenic Presidency promoted the creation of the macro-region and hosted the February 2014 Ministerial Conference in Athens, and the strategy was launched in June, 2014. The latest macro-regional Strategy will see Croatia, Greece, Italy and Slovenia cooperating closely with Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and Serbia on challenges common to the region, representing an important step in the EU integration of the Western Balkan States. "Success in the Adriatic Ionian Region will contribute to the prosperity and security of Europe as a whole," said Commissioner Hahn, while Commissioner Damanaki hailed the new strategy as a "blueprint for future initiatives in the sea basin."

Greek News Agenda: Commissioner Damanaki - Let’s Move Ahead with Blue Growth