Ministerial Meeting of the Greek Chairmanship of the EU Strategy for the Adriatic and Ionian Region (EUSAIR) and the Adriatic-Ionian Initiative (AII) (Ioannina, 11-12 May 2017)

Greece is a stabilising factor in the Balkans and supports regional cooperation among countries of the European Union as well as countries that want to join the EU, Alternate Foreign Minister Giorgos Katrougalos stressed following the proceedings of the Ministerial meeting of the EU Strategy for the Adriatic and Ionian Region (EUSAIR) and the Adriatic-Ionian Initiative (AII), which is being held in Ioannina.

With Greece's emergence from the crisis, we will give impetus to such initiatives, Mr. Katrougalos added, and, in cooperation with co-competent ministries, we will support policies that strengthen the Strategy's four pillars: Blue Growth, Transport and Energy, Environmental Quality and Sustainable Tourism.

The Ioannina Declaration states, among other things, that the eight countries participating in the Meeting agreed that efforts must be stepped up to find sources for funding major projects, such as the Trieste-Patras Adriatic-Ionian Motorway, and other actions, such as maritime transport security and energy transport.

The eight countries cooperating in EUSAIR/AII – Greece, Italy, Croatia, Slovenia, Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Montenegro and Serbia – are being represented by their Ministers of Foreign and European Affairs, as well as by Ministers responsible for the European Union Funds. The European Union is being represented by the Director of the European Commission Directorate-General for Regional and Urban Policy, responsible for Macro-regional Strategies, Lena Andersson Pench.

Greece is being represented by Alternate Foreign Minister Giorgos Katrougalos and Alternate Economy & Development Minister Alexis Charitsis, who are also co-chairing the EUSAIR Ministerial Meeting.

The Forum will culminate, on Friday, in the handing on of the EUSAIR/AII chairmanship to Italy by Alternate Economy and Development Minister Alexis Charitsis.