ODESA, APRIL 30th, 2013, CONTEXT-PRICHERNOMORIE ― The Chairman of Odesa Regional State Administration Eduard Matviychuk has joined the Political Bureau of the Balkan and Black Sea Regional Commission of the Conference of Peripheral Maritime Regions of Europe, Context-Prichernomorie correspondent reports.

The press service of Odesa City Council reported yesterday, 29 April.

According to the information, the meeting of the General Assembly of the the Balkan and Black Sea Regional Commission of the Conference of Peripheral Maritime Regions of Europe (CPMR) was held on Friday, April 26, in Odesa. The main issue was the election of a new President and Vice-Presidents of the Commission, the establishment of the Political Bureau of the Balkan and Black Sea Regional Commission and discussion of the priorities and work programme of the Commission for 2013-2014.

The event was attended by representatives of the Black Sea countries ― members of CPMR, the Odesa Regional State Administration, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine and representatives of the diplomatic corps accredited in Odesa, government agencies and organizations.

The Odesa Regional Council was presented by the Deputy Chairman of the Regional Council Oleksiy Goncharenko, representatives of deputy corps and the Departments for international, interregional, cross-border cooperation and European integration of the Regional Council.

The meeting was opened by the president of the Balkan and Black Sea Regional Commission Pavlos Damianidis. He reported the overall achievements of the commission’s work headed over recent years and the priority fields for further cooperation within the Commission.

During the first session, the new president of the Balkan and Black Sea Regional Commission was elected ― Ayhan Özkan, the deputy governor of the Turkish province Edirne.

In his speech, the newly elected president of the committee noted the general geographic vectors of further cooperation, namely the development of relations with the countries of Europe, the implementation of projects for the development of cross-border cooperation and tourism.

At the end of the meeting a new Political Bureau of the Balkan and Black Sea Regional Commission was established. The Chairman of Odesa Regional State Administration Eduard Matviychuk and Deputy Chairman of Regional State Administration Petro Khlytsov were allotted to its members.