The strategic role of Constanta County was confirmed on Thursday, when in the general meeting for the establishment of the East Gate European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation (EGTC), an event held in Bucharest, it was established that the headquarters and secretariat of this structure would be in the municipality of Constanta, the County Council (CJ) informed in a press release.

According to the cited source, the event brought together over 250 local public authorities from Romania, Bulgaria, the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine, and through the decision of the participating members to establish the headquarters of the East Gate EGTC in Constanta, the county becomes a regional development pole.

'Choosing Constanta as the headquarters of the East Gate EGTC and appointing us to lead this structure represents a major responsibility and, at the same time, a historic opportunity. We will capitalize on this cooperation framework to attract investments, develop infrastructure and create concrete projects that will bring real benefits to the communities in the region. Constanta thus becomes a central actor in the development of European cooperation at the Black Sea', declared the president of the Constanta City Council, Florin Mitroi, quoted in the press release.

The Palace of Parliament hosted, on Thursday, the General Assembly for the establishment of the East Gate EGTC, the first structure of this type registered in Romania and the largest in the eastern part of the European Union.

'The event brought together over 250 local public authorities from Romania, Bulgaria, the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine, marking an essential moment for the consolidation of cross-border cooperation and the creation of a legal framework that allows direct access to European funds,' the press release added.

The East Gate EGTC represents a strategic cooperation platform, designed to facilitate the development of major projects in areas such as transport infrastructure, regional connectivity, environmental protection, education, digitalization and economic development. Through this structure, the founding members will be able to access structural and investment funds, as well as other European financial mechanisms dedicated to regional development and cooperation.

'The headquarters and secretariat of the East Gate EGTC will be established in the municipality of Constanta, confirming the strategic role of the county as a convergence node of the trans-European corridors and as a connection point between the European Union and the wider Black Sea region. At the same time, this structure will have a direct link with the European Commission, facilitating institutional dialogue and access to European funding mechanisms', informed the Constanta County Council.

In accordance with the statutory provisions, the first president of the East Gate EGTC will be the president of the Constanta County Council, Florin Mitroi, who was elected unanimously by all participating members.

'The vote cast will be validated by all the leaders of the member structures of the East Gate EGTC. The president will coordinate the process of institutional consolidation and development of regional partnerships', the said press release also informs.

During the formal session, the founding members approved the founding initiative, adopted the constitutive convention and the organization's statute, and established the necessary steps for the operationalization of the structure. AGERPRES (RO - writing by: Nona Jalba; EN - writing by: Bogdan Gabaroi)