PM Ponta taking part in SEECP summit meeting in Tirana

Prime Minister Victor Ponta is taking part today in a summit meeting in Tirana, Albania, of the South-East Europe Cooperation Process (SEECP) heads of state or government. The Romanian Government reports that accompanying Ponta to the meeting will be Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu.

"At the summit, Ponta will underscore the importance attached by Romania to the consolidation of regional cooperation, which has a special significance particularly because of the latest political developments in the neighbourhood, and also reaffirm support for the continuation of the European Union's enlargement, based on accession criteria being met. Romania has been an active and overt supporter of the importance and relevance of this regional political dialogue forum, which is the main voice of the region when it comes to the European and Euro-Atlantic aspirations of its members being expressed," reads the release.

According to the schedule released by the Press Office of the Government, welcoming Ponta in the beginning of the summit meeting will be Albania's President Bujar Nishani, and Ponta will deliver a speech to the summit meeting of the SEECP heads of state or government.

Ponta will also hold joint news conferences with Bulgaria's President Rosen Plevneliev and Albania's President Bujar Nishani.

The main themes of the summit meeting are the latest regional developments and the European prospects of the Western Balkans. A political declaration of SEECP is expected to be passed.

Albania is currently the SEECP chairmanship-in-office, having been so since taking over the position at the June 25, 2014 summit meeting in Bucharest. Romania is the depository of the SEECP Charter and is currently part of the SEECP Troika, alongside Albania and...