THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION’S CHAIRMANSHIP IN THE BSEC:
PRIORITIES AND EXPECTATIONS.

Dear Deputy Minister, Secretary-General, Excellencies, Colleagues,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I would like in the name of the Russian Federation’s Chairmanship to praise the initiative of the Greek Foreign Ministry to organize this event commemorating the “BSEC Day”. In this context we can appreciate the wisdom and the vision of the BSEC founding fathers who foresaw the future importance of the Black Sea area.

In 1992 the Declaration on the BSEC was signed and the Bosporus Statement was adopted in Istanbul. These documents determined the priority areas and main mechanisms of cooperation in this region, launching the Black Sea process. All member-states committed themselves to join their efforts in promoting economic, technical, scientific and social progress in the Black Sea region free of dividing lines and aiming at the prosperity of their peoples. As it was also stated in these documents, the newly established regional organization should contribute decisively to the transformation of the Black Sea region in the area of peace, liberty and stability.

For fourteen years since the BSEC foundation Russia has been actively participating in its work. Indeed, the whole heritage of the Russian history is connected with this region where my country has always been a main player in various fields. This is even truer regarding the present and future.  

Over the past years a full-format regional organization has been established. Twelve states are BSEC members. Furthermore, BSEC is not a closed organization – 13 countries participate in it as observers.

The BSEC has got all necessary attributes of an international organization: the Charter, procedures, decision-making regulations etc. Cooperation within the BSEC bodies, the Parliamentary Assembly, Black Sea Trade and Development Bank, Business Council and the International Centre for Black Sea Studies, contributes to the dialogue of governmental structures, local authorities and business circles of the countries – parties to the BSEC.

As already strong, consolidated and viable organization, the BSEC pursues the policy of active cooperation with other international bodies. The BSEC enjoys the observer status to the UN General Assembly, maintains relations with the UN agencies and the European Union. At present a document is being elaborated which will determine the mechanism of mutually beneficial cooperation between the BSEC and the EU. Taking into account the geopolitical importance and the large economic potential of the BSEC area, both the BSEC and the EU should have a major interest in promoting prosperity and political stability in the Black Sea region.

The Russian Chairmanship takes into account the steadily increasing role of the Black Sea region in world politics and the global economy. This conclusion has been drawn with due regard to the strategic geographical position of this region, the growing economic potential and the analysis of BSEC activities in recent years. Under these circumstances, Russia, as part of its programme for the BSEC Chairmanship, deems it necessary to pay a special attention to preserve the BSEC identity, avoiding proliferation and duplication of efforts in this area as it was rightly mentioned in the Secretary-General’s speech.   

Today in the BSEC framework the cooperation is being built up in a number of promising areas: transport, communications, energy, overcoming the consequences of emergency situations, natural disasters and technogenic catastrophes, environmental protection, customs etc. The actual BSEC agenda includes also combating organized crime and terrorism and fight against infectious diseases.

Currently Russia is holding the presidency in three international bodies: the G8, the Council of Europe and the BSEC. Without underestimating the importance of the G8 and the Council of Europe, we attach big importance to our chairmanship in the BSEC. At the same time many important items of the Russian BSEC Chairmanship’s agenda are also priority themes of the Russian G8 Presidency. As discussions have shown in St.Petersburg Summit the collective comprehensive approach on different levels is the most effective response to the new global challenges.    

Indeed, Russia as the BSEC Chairman-in-Office underlines the need for improved cooperation in the BSEC framework. Recently a meeting between the Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergey Lavrov and the newly elected Secretary General of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation Organization, Ambassador Leonidas Chrysanthopoulos took place at the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In the course of this meeting as well as during his visit to the BSEC Headquarters in Istanbul on June 1, 2006 Sergey Lavrov stated that Russia considers the BSEC to be a viable regional international organization which possesses necessary mechanisms for cooperation. What we need now is to devote the bulk of our efforts to the practical realization of the possibilities that have been created.

As you certainly know, Russia has presented the program of its Chairmanship in the BSEC. It consists of more than sixty events. During this period Russia intends to pursue a line aiming at enhancing the effectiveness of BSEC activities. We suggest that its benefits would be, first and foremost, in the form of agreements on large-scale projects in the Black Sea Region. The Russian Chairmanship has submitted relevant proposals: the coordination of highways on the Black Sea coast (called “Argonauts route” by Deputy Minister Evripidis Stylianidis in his speech), the resumption of passenger ferry service between Black Sea ports, the possible interconnection in this area of the power systems of the Eastern and Western Europe.

Last June a meeting of the BSEC ministers for emergency situations was held in Sochi. Meetings of the BSEC states’ ministers, in charge of energy, transport, communications, regional development, are also scheduled for the next half a year.

Such approach corresponds, in our view, with the Bucharest Declaration of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the BSEC member-states of April 26, 2006. This declaration underlined the importance to concentrate the BSEC efforts on the development of transport, telecommunication and energy infrastructures in the Black Sea region.

There is no doubt that the BSEC is a unique organization in terms of its ability to sustain economic cooperation in this part of the world and, indeed, to contribute to good-neighborly relations and stability in the Black Sea Region as a whole.

Therefore Russia is ready alongside with Greece and Turkey mentioned in the Secretary General’s speech and together with all States-parties to the BSEC to promote the movement towards practical results, lay emphasis on the concrete character of its work and focus on implementing projects of importance to economic development of the region.

 Meeting in Athens we cannot but praise the prominent role of Greece – during its chairmanship but not only – in promoting our common goals in the BSEC framework.

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