Medvedev to Attend Black Sea Economic Cooperation Meeting in Istanbul

Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev will lead the Russian delegation at a meeting of the heads of states and governments of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC) member nations on May 22 in Istanbul.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — According to the Russian cabinet press service, the meeting’s agenda includes a review of the organization’s objectives, specifically to expand hands-on cooperation among the member states, including the development of cross-border roads, as well as sea and energy infrastructure.

According to the press release, the participants of the meeting, which is timed to coincide with the 25th anniversary of BSEC, will also discuss projects concerning renewable energy, energy efficiency, green technology, regional and municipal governance, and expanding export potentials of regional players.

Medvedev is also expected to hold a bilateral meeting with Turkish counterpart Binali Yildirim on the sidelines of the summit, which began on Sunday, to discuss Russia-Turkey bilateral relations, according to a Russian government staff member.

BSEC was launched as a regional initiative, with Turkey’s lead, in 1992 at the Istanbul Summit. In 1999, BSEC was officially transformed from an initiative into a regional cooperation organization, now comprising 12 member states, including Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Georgia, Greece, Moldova, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Turkey and Ukraine, as well as 16 observers and 15 sectoral dialogue partners.