The Romanian Press Agency, has reported that deputies from countries around the Black Sea, have issued a statement, expressing their support for a proposal Romania put forward on building a Black Sea European zone. Officials from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Ukraine, Georgia, Greece, Turkey, Moldova and Romania signed an initiative to set up a body to promote regional economic cooperation.However, Russia did not share their enthusiasm and did not sign the statement. A senior Russian foreign ministry official said that such an organization seems to be a duplication of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation Organization founded in 1992.
Romanian Foreign Minister Mihai Razvan Ungureanu said the zone was needed to strengthen economic cooperation in the region.
