The Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC) is one of the oldest, most representative and most institutionally developed regional economic organizations in the wider Black Sea region. Greece is one of the Organization’s founding members, with a longstanding significant contribution to BSEC’s work. Greece hosts two of BSEC’s related bodies: the Black Sea Trade and Development Bank, in Thessaloniki, and the International Center for Black Sea Studies, in Athens.
In this context, our country submitted the candidacy of Ambassador Emeritus Michael V, Christidis for the position of Secretary General of BSEC’s Permanent International Secretariat, in Istanbul.
In the relevant vote, taken within the framework of the recent meeting of the BSEC Committee of High-Level Officials (Istanbul, 28-29 April 2015), the Greek candidate was elected to a three-year term, from 1 July 2015 to 30 June 2018.
The result of the vote will be formally ratified at the upcoming Meeting of the BSEC Council of Foreign Ministers (Chisinau, 18 June 2015)
Mr. Christidis completed 37 years of fruitful service at the Foreign Ministry in 2014. He has served in the Foreign Minister’s Diplomatic Cabinet, as Head of the Directorate competent for the countries of Southeast Europe, as Director General for International Organizations and international Security and Cooperation, and as Director General for International Economic Relations, as well as in important posts in the Foreign Service (Tripoli, Zagreb, Naples, Sofia, Milan). Mr. Christidis served as the Greek Ambassador to Sofia (2000-2002), Ankara (2002-2006), and Buenos Aires (2008-2012).
Since 2013, Mr. Christidis has participated in the BSEC Committee of High-Level Officials and was appointed Coordinator of Greece’s recent BSEC Chairmanship (1 June-31 December 2014).
The election of a Greek to the position of head of the BSEC Permanent International Secretariat, for the second time in the Organization’s history – following Ambassador Emeritus L. Chrysanthopoulos’ election in 2006 – constitutes recognition of Greece’s interest in developments in the wider Black Sea region and its significant contribution to the promotion of peace, prosperity and cooperation in the region.
April 29, 2015