Bucharest, Palace of Parliament, May 9th 2019
The Palace of Parliament in Bucharest hosted the “Sustainable Development at the Black Sea” (SUST-BLACK) Conference between the 8th and 9th of May 2019, organised by the National Institute for Research and Development of Marine Geology and Geo-Ecology (GeoEcoMar), under the auspices of the European Commission. The event featured on the Agenda of Romania’s Rotating Presidency of the European Council. As part of the conference, the Institute for Advanced Studies in Levant Culture and Civilization organized a symposium on “Nature and Culture at the Black Sea” for the 9th of May, at the request of the event organisers.
The symposium consisted of 15 interventions spread across 4 distinct sessions – The Importance of Biological and Ecological Research for Sustainable Development in the Black Sea; Geological Research in the Black Sea; The Conservation and Valorisation of the Natural Heritage of the Black Sea; and Nature, History and Culture at the Black Sea. The interventions were the result of primarily multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary research, in the fields of bio-ecology, geo-ecology and bio-archaeology. During the opening ceremony, Mr. Nikolaos Theodossiou of Greece spoke about the social objectives of the United Nations in the sustainable development of the Black Sea, while Mr. Alen Amirkhanian presented current research concerns regarding environmental protection in Armenia.
Towards the end of the event, Professor Emil Constantinescu, President of the Scientific Council of the Institute for Advanced Studies in Levant Culture and Civilization, spoke about Cultural Dialogue and Diplomacy at the Black Sea, answering several questions thereafter. At the close of the symposium, the participants joined those attending the broader SUST-BLACK conference in presenting the Bucharest Declaration, announcing the launch of the Black Sea Research and Innovation Agenda.
