George Ciamba, at Plovdiv Economic Forum, reaffirms Romania's commitment to contribute to relaunch of European project

Secretary of State for Euro-Atlantic bilateral and strategic affairs with Romania's Foreign Ministry (MAE) George Ciamba participated in Bulgaria on Thursday in the first edition of the Plovdiv Economic Forum, where he reaffirmed Romania's commitment to contribute to the relaunch of the European project. 

"In the outlook of Romania taking over in 2019 the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, Secretary of State George Ciamba reaffirmed our country's commitment to contribute to the relaunch of the European project. In this context, he mentioned the Summit in Sibiu, where the future of the European construction will be discussed, a debate in which Romania is determined to have a constructive approach. He said that one of the priorities of the Romanian Presidency of the EU Council would be to advance the enlargement process, expressing the appreciation and full support of the Bulgarian Presidency for prioritizing the European perspective and the connectivity of the Western Balkans," reads a Foreign Ministry (MAE) release. 

In his speech at the session on the future of Europe "EU: Clash of Visions", the secretary of state presented the challenges that the European Union must currently respond to. He also welcomed the announcement made by Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras and the Macedonian one, Zoran Zaev, on the bilateral agreement regarding the constitutional name of the Republic of Macedonia, the Republic of Northern Macedonia respectively, explaining that it represents a decisive step in the current regional context. 

The Romanian dignitary stressed the importance of a solid transatlantic relationship, based on solidarity, unity and a fair sharing of responsibilities, to ensure the security of the European and Euro-Atlantic area. 

Plovdiv Economic Forum, co-organized by the Greek think-tank Delphi Economic Forum and the think-tank Center for Liberal Strategies, was opened by Bulgaria's Prime Minister Boyko Borissov. The debates in the Forum addressed topical issues on the European agenda, such as the future of the European Union, the enlargement of the Eurozone, the Banking Union, the Energy Union, the European perspective of the Western Balkans, regional socio-economic issues and education policies. 

The first edition of the Forum brings together leaders from the political sphere within the panel "EU: Clash of Visions", such as: Ekaterina Zaharieva, Deputy Prime Minister for Justice Reform, Bulgarian Foreign Affairs Minister Lilyana Pavlova, Minister for the Bulgarian Presidency of the EU Council, Sophie McLoughlin, Sapiens Institute Director for Public Relations, Loukas Tsoukalis, President of ELIAMEP, and Ivan Krastev, President of the Center for Liberal Strategies. 

The debates aim to identify and assess the main challenges of economic growth, to share views on the political experiences of the states in the region, to support the adoption of the best practices in social innovation in the private sector, and to identify the most effective policies for a more competitive and more inclusive economy, the MAE release mentioned.