Ukrainian National Hub of the Black Sea Assistance Mechanism, together with the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, hosted a national event: “Assessment of Damage Caused by Russian Aggression to Research and Educational Institutions of Black Sea Studies and Possible Project Solutions,” in Odesa, on the 27th of April 2023.
The event was held within the Common Maritime Agenda for the Black Sea (CMA) as a first initiative of a series of activities planned by national hubs for 2023. For Ukraine, it was the first event gathering blue economy stakeholders since the war started.
Representatives of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, the Secretariat of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, and representatives of educational institutions, scientific institutions, public organisations, and businesses attended the event, which was held in a hybrid format. The safety of participants was a priority for the organisation of the workshop.
Participants discussed the impact of the Russian invasion on Ukraine’s blue economy and how it is affecting the implementation of the Common Maritime Agenda.
The topics raised were related to availableEU funding opportunities, including under INTERREG NEXT Black Sea Basin Programme, the Strategic Research Innovation Agenda (SRIA) and its benefits for Ukraine, as well as joint assessment of damage to the Black Sea infrastructure (research facilities, including fish farms) and human capacities.
The main result of the event was an agreement to cooperate and support joint projects on a sustainable blue economy that could be developed in the country, under the given circumstances.
The workshop helped restore a platform for communication and exchange of information between Black Sea blue economy stakeholders in Ukraine, contributing to the joint implementation of the Common Maritime Agenda.