Cooperation in Black Sea region discussed in Sochi

On Wednesday Russia's Black Sea resort of Sochi is hosting a session of the emergency ministers from member states of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation organization (BSEC). The two-day meeting will be presided by Russian Emergency Minister Sergei Shoigu, said the ministry's press service. The participants will exchange opinions on the current situation in the region, discuss the outlook for cooperation within the framework of the Agreement between the BSEC governments on cooperation in emergency situations and liquidation of their consequences, as well as work out a mechanism for fulfilling these purposes. Issues of improving the emergency reaction mechanism, working out and implementing high technologies in fighting large accidents, catastrophes and fires, including fire extinguishing from the air, medical aid and humanitarian mine clearing, are also on the agenda. The BSEC states are represented in Sochi by the leaders of Albania's ministry for civil order, Armenia's emergency department, Azerbaijan's defense ministry, Bulgaria's civil defense agency, Georgia's ministries for foreign and domestic affairs, Moldova's foreign ministry and civil defence and emergencies department, Romania's civil defense headquarters, Turkey's ministry of public works and settlement, and Ukraine's ministry for emergency situations and affairs of population protection from consequences of the Chernobyl catastrophe.