On 24–25 February 2026, in Kavala (Hellenic Republic), the Kick-off Meeting of the project “Sustainable Destinations Black Sea Network (SUSDEST-NET)” took place, implemented within the Interreg NEXT Black Sea Basin Programme.

The event marked the beginning of strengthened cooperation among six partners from the Black Sea region, united around a common objective: the development and promotion of sustainable tourism destinations.

The delegation of the Chișinău City Hall was represented by:

Andrei Timuș – Project Coordinator, Head of the Entrepreneurship Development and Investment Promotion Section within the General Directorate of Economy, Trade and Tourism of the Chișinău Municipal Council;

Ina Tabarcea – Communication Manager, Principal Specialist of the Tourism Development Section within the General Directorate of Economy, Trade and Tourism of the Chișinău Municipal Council;

Ruxandra Cazacu – Procurement Manager, Principal Economist within the Administrative Directorate of Chișinău City Hall.

Representatives of all partner organizations participated in the meeting:

Municipality of Kavala – Project Leader;

UBBSLA (Bulgaria);

Democritus University of Thrace (Greece);

Chișinău City Hall (Republic of Moldova);

Limanu Municipality (Romania);

Uskudar Urban Services Trade and Industry Joint Stock Organization (Republic of Türkiye).

The meeting agenda included:
• presentation of partners and activities implemented during the period 4 November 2025 – 23 February 2026;
• clarifications regarding communication and visibility rules applicable within the programme;
• establishment and planning of joint actions to be implemented until 3 July 2026, marking the end of the second implementation period of the project;
• financial and administrative management aspects, including coordination of reporting and monitoring mechanisms.

The exchange of experience and best practices among partners highlighted the significant potential of cross-border cooperation in creating a common and coherent framework for sustainable tourism development in the Black Sea region.

The meeting in Kavala reaffirmed the strong commitment of the partners to building a solid network of sustainable tourist destinations, based on innovation, collaboration, and responsibility towards communities and the environment.