From the archives... Transylvania: the Romanian region with much more than just Dracula #apusenimountains# #bearlake# #biertanfortifiedchurch# #brancastle# #brașov# #carpathians# #clujnapoca#

At the Carpathian Economic Forum, we've got over 50 investment and trade projects from all C8 countries — in oil and gas and energy sectors, infrastructure and culture — worth a combined total of over $1 billion. The next step is to move ahead with implementation. We're building the Carpathians into one connected economic space — together with governments, regions and communities across the C8, businesses and international financial institutions. Ukraine, Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, Czechia, Austria and Serbia already share an economy joined by production chains, energy links, transport routes and ties across our regions and communities. Now it's time for us to scale that up. We should focus on three priorities: more trade & mutual investment, big international capital via joint regional investment platforms, and C8 involvement in Ukraine's reconstruction as a shared economic project for the whole region. To get there, the Carpathians need their own strategic framework, like other EU macro-regions have. That's the goal of the Carpathian Integration Initiative — launching an EU Macro-Regional Strategy for the Carpathians and today we start filling it in with our partners. Thanks to the President for kicking off this initiative, and to all our partners for their support and drive to grow our regions and communities together.

Working in Ivano-Frankivsk region. I took part in the first Carpathian Eight (C8) Summit, inaugurated by President Volodymyr Zelensky. This is a new format of diplomatic, economic and regional cooperation launched by the President. It brings together Ukraine, Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, Czechia, Austria and Serbia. It's important that C8 becomes a permanent format working for the development of the whole Carpathian region. Within C8, almost 100 business projects from the eight countries will be presented, worth a total of around €40 billion. In the coming years, the region's economy could grow twice as fast as the EU average. We're committed to ensuring these few days deliver concrete agreements, new opportunities for Ukraine's economy and security, and stronger ties with our neighbors.