BUCHAREST, Feb. 12 (Xinhua) -- Romania will take over the Chairmanship of the South-East European Cooperation Process (SEECP) from Bulgaria on 1 July, with a one-year mandate, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MAE) announced on Thursday.
Romania will formally assume the role at a SEECP Summit scheduled in Sofia in June 2026, the MAE said.
During its chairmanship, Romania plans to focus on accelerating the European integration of SEECP partners, strengthening regional cooperation, particularly in energy, transport and digital connectivity, deepening political and economic dialogue, and enhancing regional resilience amid ongoing geopolitical challenges and hybrid threats.
"Romania aims to be an active and constructive partner within the SEECP, promoting stability, security and sustainable development in the region," Foreign Affairs Minister Oana Toiu said, reaffirming Bucharest's support for the European and Euro-Atlantic aspirations of South-East European states.
Established in 1996, the SEECP is a non-institutional political forum dedicated to cooperation among South-East European countries, with participants including Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Kosovo region, North Macedonia, the Republic of Moldova, Montenegro, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia and Türkiye.
The operation of SEECP is supported by the Regional Cooperation Council, which coordinates major regional initiatives such as the South East Europe 2030 Strategy, the Common Regional Market and the Green Corridors trade facilitation project. ■