Secretary General of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) Hido Biscevic met today with high-level officials of the Republic of Moldova to outline the organization’s priorities in the next three years and the ways the Republic of Moldova can take best advantage of regional cooperation in South East Europe.

At a meeting with Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration, Iurie Leanca, Secretary General Biscevic informed of the new 2011-13 strategy for the activities of the RCC Secretariat. He invited Minister Leanca to detect concrete ideas and projects with a regional dimension as a way to foster economic development of the country.

Minister Leanca credited the RCC for profiling itself as a leading regional organization, and stressed the compatibility of its activities with his government’s European integration aspirations.

Talking to Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy, Valeriu Lazar, Secretary General Biscevic highlighted the elements of the new RCC strategy aimed at accelerating development of South East European countries and the region as a whole, through transnational projects.

Minister Lazar introduced the “Rethink Moldova” priorities of his country over the next four years, focusing primarily on responsible governance, economic recovery and human capital, with a view to developing a knowledge-based, competitive economy. He underlined his government’s orientation towards South East Europe and the experience of other countries with EU integration as important assets of cooperation within the RCC framework.

The RCC Secretary General also met with Gheorghe Duca, President of the Academy of Science of the Republic of Moldova, and discussed regional cooperation in the building human capital priority area of RCC activities, especially in terms of research, innovation and knowledge-based economy.

The meetings were a part of a series of consultations the RCC Secretary General has undertaken with the region’s leaders in the course of preparations of the 2011-13 strategy of the RCC Secretariat.