International Relations: OSCE

Armenia assumed Chairmanship-in-Office of the Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation

PRIORITY AGENDA
of the Armenian Chairmanship-in-Office
of the Organization of Black Sea Economic Cooperation
(November 1, 2008 – April 30, 2009)

The Republic of Armenia is for the second time during its membership in the Black Sea Economic Cooperation Organization assuming the Chairmanship of the respectful forum. This is a solemn duty to take the helm and steer the Organization which over the years has become a full-fledged entity setting the trend not only throughout the region but also far beyond it.
In the meantime, the Republic of Armenia, as Chairman-in-Office, is fully conscious of its high responsibility since the BSEC Organization, which has stood the long-period test of time, is now obliged to withstand the new inner as well as global challenges of the contemporary world.
In this respect, Armenia feels impelled to exert its efforts for further consolidation of the BSEC stand in and outside the region in mostly complicated world developments of global significance.
The Armenian Chairmanship-in-Office will keep following the strict adherence to the Charter of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation Organization and other statutory documents of BSEC with the view of all-round enhancement of multilateral socio-economic cooperation through the Organization’s innovative project-oriented agenda. Proceeding along this way a close cooperation with the previous and future Chairmanships-in-Office, the BSEC Permanent International Secretariat, Member States and related bodies, observers and sectoral dialogue partners are of the highest importance.
The global and regional economic developments as well as the actual dynamic processes in social and international life are being thoroughly analyzed and elaborated within the scope of BSEC, which is reflected on the Organization’s agenda. The Republic of Armenia takes its constructive part in these processes firmly believing that the entire agenda is as of the high priority.
Proceeding from the realities and perspectives of the social and economic developments of the contemporary world as well as the development tendencies within BSEC, the Armenian Chairmanship finds it essential to focus among the other priority areas on the following:

Enhancement of cooperation in energy sector

  • Given the strategic significance of the BSEC region, the Armenian Chairmanship-in-Office will undertake initial steps in the process of formulating an integrated BSEC regional energy strategy based on the provisions of the relevant BSEC declarations, as well as the strategy of enhanced cooperation with the EU energy related structures in the light of the 2008 Kyiv Declaration. Which means:
  • Elaboration of a Draft BSEC-EU Joint Policy Action in Energy and proposals for the European Commission to support BSEC in promoting cooperation in energy throughout the region.
  • Deliberations on the BSEC Regional Study on Energy at the up-coming meetings of the Working Group.
  • Initiating and leading the process of developing multilateral legal instruments that would facilitate purpose-oriented activities in energy sector within the framework of BSEC.
  • Promotion of active interaction with international organizations, in particular, with the EC, and with other major players in the field of energy in the region.
  • Elaboration of the 2008-2010 Action Plan of the Ad Hoc Working Group of Experts on Electrical Networks interconnection.

 

Development of the transport cooperation in the Region

  • The Armenian Chairmanship-in-Office will take steps towards the implementation of the provisions of the 2008 Odessa Joint Declaration on Cooperation in the Sphere of Transport in the BSEC Region. In order to promote reliable, efficient, environmentally sound, safe, secure, sustainable transport systems and policies in the BSEC member States, they among the other priority tasks should intensify joint efforts for making the process of integration of their legislations more effective and flexible.
  • The Armenian Chairmanship-in-Office acknowledges the recent developments within the framework of implementation of one of the major Memoranda of Understanding signed by the Member States on Coordinated Development of the Black Sea Ring Highway, and calls for accelerating internal procedures to make come into force of another one - Development of the Motorways of the Sea at the BSEC Region. The issue of proper realization of the mentioned projects is on the priority agenda of the Chairmanship.
  • The accomplishment of the MOU on Facilitation of Road Transport of Goods in the BSEC Region remains priority item on the Organization’s transport cooperation. The Armenian Chairmanship attaches importance to joining of all Member States to the Agreements on Simplification of Visa Procedures for Professional Lorry Drivers and for the Businesspeople Nationals of the BSEC Member States.
  • The constructive dialogue and interaction between BSEC and the European Commission and international organizations and programs, such as UN ECE, UN ESCAP, IRF, IRU, TRACECA, EurAsEC, on the development of the Euro-Asian transport corridors passing through the BSEC region, are of high importance of the Chairmanship.

 

Cooperation on environmental issues

  • Since the environmental issues do not recognize political borders due to their international nature there is an urgent necessity for integrating the national strategies and put the issues of water and air pollution, generation of waste, climate change, deforestation and degradation of biodiversity on the priority agenda of the BSEC Member States. The Armenian Chairmanship-in-Office will further encourage the PDF projects to be put into action in this field.
  • To tackle with these global environmental issues the Member States should be guided by the basic documents adopted at the different level including the 2006 Bucharest Joint Declaration and the following decisions. Establishment and development of the BSEC Information Exchange Mechanism for the Environmental Protection could serve the best way to facilitate solving the issues. 
  • The Armenian Chairmanship-in-Office will continue considering the proposals and project ideas for regional cooperation on environmental problems between BSEC and the European Union.

 

Joint efforts in enhancing cooperation in other priority areas

  • The Armenian Chairmanship-in-Office will attach importance to and strongly encourage the implementation of joint projects in the fields of information technologies, small and medium entrepreneurship, institutional renewal, agro-industry, science and social life.
  • The particular importance will be gained in all-round cooperation in emergency assistance and in combating organized crime. The Armenian Chairmanship will contribute effectively to the implementation of the joint programs in these areas of cooperation on the basis of the BSEC legal instruments and would highly appreciate support and courage of the Member States.

 

Improvement of the efficiency and credibility of BSEC

  • As any mechanism working intently, BSEC also needs the recurrent necessity of improving its operational and structural efficiency, reinforcing its visibility and cohesion.

As early as 2006, in Bucharest, the process of reforms in BSEC was envisaged. It was taken up by further initiatives having been eventually resulted in the across-the-board paper of “Guidelines on Improvement of the BSEC Efficiency” adopted in Tirana, in 2008.

  • The Armenian Chairmanship-in-Office will further urge forward the implementation of the practical measures on the way of improving the efficiency, effectiveness and visibility of BSEC within the operational framework of the Guidelines.
  • BSEC should improve its decision-making mechanisms at the level of the Working Groups and the Committee of Senior Officials so that the decisions taken by the Foreign Ministers Council be ensured more effective and realized more rapid.
  • The Working Groups should interact closely with the Country Coordinators and the Permanent International Secretariat under the supervision of the Sectoral Ministerial meetings in order to coordinate smoothly deliberations and decision taking processes to ensure effective implementation of the Action Plans.
  • As Chairman-in-Office, the Republic of Armenia will exert efforts to raise the role of the BSEC Member States by strengthening communication among them and enhancing interaction between the BSEC Permanent Representatives and PERMIS, supporting informal meetings at different levels and organizing coordinating meetings of the Chairmanship-in-Office, the Related Bodies and PERMIS to contribute effectively to the improvement of efficiency and credibility of BSEC on the basis of improved legal documents. 
  • During the Chairmanship, every effort will be made to finalize the financial regulations and procedures of BSEC as well as the regulations for the staff of PERMIS. Higher efficiency of the project-oriented cooperation between the Member States and the Project Development Fund will be maintained. Active involvement of the Hellenic Development Fund in the BSEC agenda will be encouraged. Mutually beneficial cooperation with the Black Sea Trade and Development Bank as well as other international financial institutions will be further developed.

Enhancement of the mutually advantageous cooperation between BSEC
and the international actors

  • BSEC will further develop interaction with regional economic organizations and initiatives in different areas of cooperation strictly avoiding duplications and overlapping of functions.
  • The Republic of Armenia is among the other BSEC Member States co-sponsoring the special resolution on cooperation between the United Nations and the Black Sea Economic Cooperation. The BSEC-UN relations will be mainly accentuated at the solving of social, economic and humanitarian issues to contribute to the project-resulted approaches with the support of international financial institutions. The BSEC Organization intends to have enhanced cooperation with the UN Economic Commission for Europe, the UN Development Program, the UN Industrial Development Organization, the UN Office on Drugs and Crime and other organizations such as the World Health Organization, the UN Children’s Fund, the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the Organization of Economic Cooperation Development, World Bank etc.
  • The BSEC-EU interaction will be further intensified to reach all-round cooperation on the principle of mutually advantageous partnership between the two entities. This partnership should be realized as it is provided for in the basic documents on enhanced relationship adopted in February 2008 in Kyiv. It is essential to note that the strategy papers and initiatives having been intensively introduced since 2002 should be put into action through the elaboration of appropriate mechanisms in the shape of concrete result-oriented projects for the benefit of both organizations.

Armenia is looking forward to intensifying partnership cooperation between BSEC and EU and other related European institutions through the new initiatives aimed at facilitating the deliberations of the BSEC-EU experts in a practical and result-oriented manner.

Calendar of Events

The Calendar of Events provides for around 60 events over the period of the Armenian Chairmanship-in-Office and includes a regular meeting of the BSEC Council of Ministers of Foreign Affairs, sectoral ministerial meetings, meetings of the Committee of Senior Officials and Working Groups meetings, international conferences, workshops, trainings, exhibitions etc.
The events are intended to have the BSEC multilateral economic and social cooperation agenda put into success for the sake of the Member States, the nations of the region and over the world.
In order to achieve these goals the Armenian Chairmanship-in-Office counts on active support and close cooperation of all Member States, related bodies, BSEC PERMIS, observer states and sectoral dialogue partners.

 

Yerevan, October 27, 2008