Romania has taken over the Presidency of the South-East European Cooperation Process (SEECP), a regional format launched in 1996, in a ceremony held in Sofia, attended by the President of Bulgaria, Iliana Iotova, the President of Albania, Bajram Begaj, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Romania, Oana Țoiu.
According to a press release sent by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Wednesday evening, Romania will hold the Presidency-in-Office of the SEECP from July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027, taking over the mandate from Sofia, in the year the forum marks 30 years since its establishment.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Oana Țoiu, participated in the Summit on behalf of the President of Romania, Nicușor Dan.
"The future of South-East Europe is European, and our common responsibility is to ensure that this future is stable, secure, prosperous, and sustainable, and to make it clear, much faster, to all citizens who expect this. Beyond economic competition, there is also a competition of future plans. For us, it is very important that the European future plan is the winning plan. We assume this mandate with a strong sense of responsibility and with the ambition to continue and capitalize on the excellent work carried out by our partners in the Troika, Sofia and Tirana. Once we manage to invest in strategic connectivity projects, we will see a faster movement of goods, energy, data, and people," stated the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Oana Țoiu, at the SEECP Troika press conference.
In her interventions during the meetings, the Romanian minister congratulated the partners in Podgorica and Tirana for their recent progress in EU accession negotiations and emphasized that the European integration of the Western Balkans, the Republic of Moldova, and Ukraine means completing the architecture of stability, security, and prosperity of the entire continent.
In the context of Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine and the intensification of hybrid, cyber, and disinformation threats, the Romanian minister advocated for regional cooperation aimed at protecting democratic societies, critical infrastructure, and strategic connectivity.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs specifies that, under the motto "Resilient. Connected. European.", Romania's presidency will focus on three pillars:
Political: supporting EU enlargement and the gradual integration of participants into the Single Market, including through initiatives with a direct effect on citizens, such as integration into the single SEPA payments area and expansion of the "Roam Like at Home" system, as well as promoting the region's voice at the level of European institutions;
Security and stability: strengthening resilience against hybrid and cyber threats, disinformation, natural disasters, and medical emergencies;
Economic and social: sustainable development through energy, transport, and digital connectivity, implementation of the SEE 2030 Strategy and the Green Agenda for the Western Balkans, with an emphasis on youth and civil society," reads a press release from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
"The Summit concluded with the adoption of the Sofia SEECP Declaration, which reaffirms the participants' commitment to regional cooperation, connectivity, competitiveness, sustainable development, and resilience, and records the takeover of the Presidency by Romania," the Ministry of Foreign Affairs transmits.
At the end of the mandate, in July 2027, Romania will host the SEECP Summit in Bucharest, with the participation of leaders from across the region, as well as the meeting of foreign ministers.
The South-East European Cooperation Process is a regional format launched in 1996, at Bulgaria's initiative, being the only cooperation forum in South-East Europe created and managed by participants from the region.
