ISTANBUL

Romania will concentrate on “connectivity” among members of Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation as Bucharest takes the reins of the regional body for the next six months.

Romanian minister George Ciamba was in Istanbul on Monday to outline his country’s BSEC priorities.

“Connectivity should be one of the main priorities in our office,” Ciamba told reporters at the organization’s Istanbul headquarters.

“The chairmanship will focus on connectivity in the field of transportation – the main sectorial priority, but also on ‘soft connectivity issues’ like combatting organized crime and tax evasion, environment and energy - equally sectorial priorities of its mandate,” he said.

Romania has said it will organize a meeting of the working group on transport.

Founded in 1999 with headquarters in Istanbul, BSEC has 12 member states: Armenia; Azerbaijan; Albania; Bulgaria; Greece; Georgia; Moldova; Russia; Romania; Serbia; Turkey and Ukraine.

Ciamba also stressed that his government is looking to enhance the role of the economic organization with regard to the European Union.

“The chairmanship will act in order to forge a genuine partnership with the European Union based on flexible and pragmatic cooperation,” Ciamba added.

Romania, Greece and Bulgaria hold dual membership of the EU and BSEC.