NEW CHALLENGES REQUIRE ACTIVE ACTIONS AND NON- STANDARD DECISIONS
From the beginning of this year, the front-pages of the information resources almost all over the world have been occupied with messages related to struggle against coronavirus, quarantine announcement, border closure and negative consequences for the global economy.
The world is changing at an incredibly rapid pace. New realities call for new forms of economic cooperation and new content to fill them with.
The new challenges the world has faced this year require active and common action by representatives of the economic, science and government sectors of different countries, which imposes non-standard solutions.
How to treat the situation with the economies of separate countries and the world economy as a whole: as standing on the edge of the cliff or vice versa — near the open "window" of new opportunities? The answer to this question depends on us, our decisions and actions in these difficult circumstances, in the conditions of new realities of modern times.
It is about the "windows" of new opportunities and the need for joint, coordinated action at the European-Asian area from the Baltic Sea to the eastern Caspian shores to be discussed at the VII Baltic Black Sea Economic Forum, which will take place this year in Kherson, Ukraine.
Our forum is likely to become one of the first international events of this format to be held at the European-Asian area after reducing of quarantine restrictions and opening of borders.
The peculiarity of the forum, which is being prepared, is its solid foundation. This foundation was formed by the forum’s partners as the basis of the project on creating a corridor of effective cooperation from the Baltic Sea to the eastern Caspian coast. We are very grateful to all our partners for their active and collaborative remote work on developing revised joint action plans and draft decisions for final discussion during the forum.
A consistent logical model is being developed, from scientific rationale through practical implementation to the fulfillment of a geopolitical function. Considering this interconnected chain, three main components will be emphasized at the forum:
- Our partners and the co-organizers of the forum - Kherson State Maritime Academy and the Science Park of KSMA "Maritime Industry Innovations" - together with partners from different countries, prepare to discuss "recipes" of new approaches in international cooperation in the area of higher education, advanced training of staff, and science;
- Together with our partners — heads of sea ports of Baltic, Black and Caspian Seas as well as heads of transport and logistics companies — we are going to discuss revised plans on cooperation and development of new partnership models both in the waters of the separate sea and for joint international business projects, trade and multimodal movement of goods from the eastern shores of the Caspian Sea to the Baltic Sea;
- These two basic directions are foreseen within the framework of the new challenges alongside with the recipes needed to create the economic security zone and new models of international cooperation aimed at ensuring economic development.
Honorary Consul of the Republic of Lithuania in Kherson,
Chairman of the Board of the Baltic Black Sea Economic Forum,
Head of the organizing committee for preparation and holding of the forum,
Viktor Popov
