Black Sea Economic Cooperation countries agree on removing non-tariff barriers

Chisinau, 29 May /MOLDPRES/ - The member countries of the Organisation of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC) agreed to set up practical mechanisms to eliminate non-tariff barriers to facilitate mutual trade and encourage investment in accordance with the standards and rules of the World Trade Organisation (WTO). BSEC member countries deputy economics ministers adopted a joint declaration titled "Facilitating intraregional trade and investments" in Chisinau today.

The participants in the reunion also agreed to simplify the “existing cross-border procedures in the BSEC Region”. At the national level, experts envisage the implementation of measures to carry out BSEC projects with a major impact on economic development in the region, particularly in the areas of trade, transport and customs, reads a press release by the Economics Ministry.

The BSEC meeting was chaired by Deputy Economics Minister Octavian Calmic. "We are here to unite our efforts and provide the business community more trade and investment opportunities in the BSEC region, as well as find solutions to the current challenges. One of our main priorities remain the further development and intensification of interaction between BSEC and the EU, based on the synergy of bilateral relations, the potential benefits of relevant cross-border and regional policies and their dimensions, such as the Black Sea Synergy and the Eastern Partnership, "said Octavian Calmic.

Officials from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Georgia, Greece, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Turkey and Ukraine attended the meeting.

Moldova holds the presidency of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation Organisation in the January-June 2015 period.

(Reporter V. Bercu, Editor A. Raileanu)