Istanbul hosts 12 countries in Black Sea Economic Co-op summit

The 25th Anniversary Summit of the Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC) will be held on Monday, in Istanbul at the Lütfi Kirdar International Convention and Exhibition Center.

The summit, of which Anadolu Agency is the official host photographer, will be organized under the auspices of the Presidency of the Republic of Turkey.

During the summit, economic cooperation and institutional reforms will be discussed, plus a declaration for the 25th anniversary of the organization will be adopted.

According to Turkey's Directorate General of Press and Information, more than 500 local and international press members will cover the summit in which over 800 delegations participate from member and observer countries along with the sectoral dialogue partners.

Meanwhile, the Permanent International Secretariat of the BSEC has moved to its new premises in Istanbul with an inauguration ceremony in attendance of the member countries' representatives Sunday afternoon.

BSEC is established as a model of multilateral political and economic initiative with the signing of the Istanbul Summit Declaration and the Bosphorus Statement by the heads of state and government of the countries in the region, on June 1992.

The group has 12 members -- Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Georgia, Greece, Moldova, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Turkey and Ukraine. Turkey has been holding the BSEC's Chairmanship-in-Office since the beginning of 2017.

The organization aims to enhance interaction and harmony among its members, as well as to ensure peace, stability and prosperity, encouraging friendly and good-neighborly relations in the Black Sea region.