Ukrainian Foreign Minister: Russia's presence in the Crimea destroys economic ties in the Black Sea region
Russian aggression and the annexation of the Crimea are destroying economic ties in the Black Sea region, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin said at a meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC) member states on May 21.
According to the press service of the Ukrainian Embassy in Turkey, a special meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the BSEC member-states was held in Istanbul in preparation for the Jubilee Summit on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the organization. The celebration will be held in Istanbul on May 22, 2017.
In his speech, Klimkin noted the deterioration of the security situation in the Black Sea region, especially due to Russia's aggressive policy, primarily against Ukraine, the press service said.
He noted that such actions by Russia "undermine the essence of the Black Sea economic cooperation, which is aimed at transforming the region into a zone of peace, stability and prosperity."
It was recently reported that the development of economic cooperation under conditions of security crisis in the Black Sea region will be a key issue during the presidency of Ukraine in the BSEC in the second half of 2017.