The future of the South-Eastern part of the continent is European, and our common responsibility is to ensure that this future is stable, secure, prosperous and sustainable and that it becomes, much faster, clear to all citizens who are waiting for this, the acting Minister of Foreign Affairs, Oana Toiu stated on Wednesday, in the context of Romania taking over the presidency of the South-East European Cooperation Process (SEECP), during the meeting held in Sofia.
According to a statement sent by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Romania will exercise the SEECP Presidency-in-Office from July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027, taking over the mandate from Bulgaria in the year in which the forum celebrates its 30th anniversary.
Acting Minister Oana Toiu attended the Summit on behalf of President Nicusor Dan, the cited source states.
"The future of South-Eastern Europe is European, and our common responsibility is to ensure that this future is stable, secure, prosperous and sustainable and that it becomes, much faster, clear to all citizens who are waiting for it. Beyond the 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", Minister Oana Toiu told the SEECP Troika press conference.
In her interventions at today's meetings, the Romanian minister congratulated the partners in Podgorica and Tirana for the recent progress in the EU accession negotiations and stressed 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 head of Romanian diplomacy advocated for regional cooperation aimed at protecting democratic societies, critical infrastructure and strategic connectivity.
Under the motto "Resilient. Connected. Europeans", the Romanian Presidency will focus on three pillars: Political: supporting the EU enlargement and the gradual integration of participants in the Single Market, including through initiatives with a direct effect for citizens, such as integration into the SEPA single payments area and the extension 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 in the face of hybrid and cyber threats, disinformation, natural disasters and medical emergencies; Economic and social: sustainable development through energy, transport and digital connectivity, the implementation of the EEA 2030 Strategy and the Green Agenda for the Western Balkans, with a focus on youth and civil society, the said press release mentions.
The summit concluded with the adoption of the SEECP Sofia Declaration, which reconfirms the participants' commitment to regional cooperation, connectivity, competitiveness, sustainable development and resilience, and records Romania's assumption of the presidency.
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.
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