Publicat pe 25/06/2019

Bucharest, June 25^th, 2019: The President of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Romania (CCIR), Mr. Mihai Daraban, participated today, June 25^th, at the sixth edition of the Eastern Partnership Business Forum (PaE) organized by the Romanian Presidency of the Council of the European Union with the support of the European Commission, in partnership with the CCIR.

The event gathered in Bucharest government officials and business representatives from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, the Republic of Moldova, Ukraine and Romania, as well as from the EU member states. The Business Forum agenda included debates on the level of interconnection between the Member States, infrastructure development, the IT industry and, e-commerce. Representatives of the Eastern European business community, as well as those in the European Union also benefited from B2B and B2G meetings.

At the opening of the Forum, the President of CCIR, Mr. Mihai Daraban, said: “During 10 years since the launch of the Eastern Partnership and after 5 business forums, we can say that there have been significant developments in the Eastern Partnership countries. Since 2009, the EU has contributed € 348 million, supporting 70,000 businesses, with € 1,96 billion worth of loans to companies, resulting in the creation of 28,000 new jobs. Based on the experience of the Business Forum of the Three Seas Initiative, I would suggest that our partners in the Eastern Partnership countries focus on the development of regional strategic projects for railways, ports and airports to accelerate development in the region. A secure, efficient and sustainable transport system is essential to promoting trade between Eastern Partnership countries and the EU”.

“The Eastern Partnership is proof of the consistency and desire shared by the European Union and its Eastern partners to build together a project for the direct benefit of the citizens. Achievements over the past 10 years are indisputable: on the bilateral level, the EU has signed Association Agreements and Agreements to establish a comprehensive free trade area as well as visa liberalization agreements, thus agreeing on cooperative formats that have facilitated clear progress in the Republic of Moldova, Georgia and Ukraine. Also, the Comprehensive and Consolidated Partnership Agreement with Armenia has been negotiated and signed, and progress is being made towards completing a new agreement with Azerbaijan” said Mr. Ştefan Radu Oprea, Minister for the Business, Trade and Entrepreneurship.

“The seventh edition of the Eastern Partnership Business Forum (PaE) will take place in Georgia next year. Our efforts will focus mainly on increasing investment in this area by promoting opportunities for small and medium-sized enterprises, start-ups and new technology initiatives, thus creating a platform for visible and dynamic economic development. Our common goal is to have the same chances of economic growth, using the EU instruments and frameworks” said Mr. Alexander Khvtisiashvili, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Georgia.

Background

The Eastern Partnership is a joint initiative involving the European Union, its member states and six East European partners: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine. The purpose of this partnership is to build a common area of democracy, prosperity, stability and cooperation between the Member States.

The Business Forum, organized in the margins of the Eastern Partnership, creates a useful dialogue platform for government officials and entrepreneurs in the region and the European Union, relevant international financial institutions as well as agencies involved in the development of trade.