BSEC

SUMMIT DECLARATION ON BLACK SEA ECONOMIC COOPERATION

Istanbul, 25 June 1992

The Heads of State or Government of Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Georgia, Greece, Moldova, Romania, Russia, Turkey and Ukraine;

1. Taking into account the profound and rapid changes in Europe and the determination of the peoples of the continent to shape a new era of peace and security on the basis of the principles laid down in the Helsinki Final Act and follow up CSCE documents and particularly in the Charter of Paris for a new Europe,

2. Recognizing that a prosperous and united Europe will evolve on shared values such as democracy based on human rights and fundamental freedoms, prosperity through economic liberty and social justice, and equal security for all countries,

3. Taking into consideration the potential of the Participating States and the opportunities for enhancing the mutually advantageous economic cooperation arising from their geographic proximity and from the reform process and structural adjustments,

4. Conscious of the importance of the environmental problems of the Black Sea for the well-being of their peoples and recognizing that it is vital to ensure the environmental sustainability of their economic development,

5. Confirm the intention to develop economic cooperation as a contribution to the CSCE process, to the establishment of a Europe-wide economic area, as well as to the achievement of a higher degree of integration of the Participating States into the world economy,

6. Share the common objectives to achieve the further development and diversification of both bilateral and multilateral cooperation among them as well as with other interested countries, to foster their economic, technological and social progress, and to encourage free enterprise,

7. Agree that their economic cooperation will be developed in a manner not contravening their obligations and not preventing the promotion of the relations of the Participating States with third parties, including international organizations as well as the EC and the cooperation within the regional initiative,

8. Aim to ensure that the Black Sea becomes a sea of peace, stability and prosperity, striving to promote friendly and good-neighborly relations,

9. Declare that the economic cooperation among the Participating States will be developed on the basis of the principles of the Helsinki Final Act and the decisions in the subsequent CSCE documents, as well as of the other universally recognized principles of international law,

10. Agree that the economic cooperation will be promoted gradually and, while determining the priorities in this process, they will take into account the specific economic conditions, interests and concerns of the countries involved, and particularly the problems of the countries in transition to market economy.

11. Affirm that the whole economic cooperation among their countries is open for the participation of other interested States recognizing the provisions of this Document. As regards projects of common interests, individual countries, their economic and financial institutions, enterprises and firms as well as regional and international economic and financial institutions could be involved in their realizations,

12. Decide to develop comprehensive multilateral and bilateral Black Sea economic cooperation, covering the various fields of activity as specified below,

13. Affirming their determination to make best use of all possibilities and opportunities for expanding and multiplying their cooperation in the fields of economics, including trade and industrial cooperation, of science and technology and of the environment, the Participating States declare that they will take from now on concrete steps in this process by identifying, developing and carrying out, with the participation of their competent organizations, enterprises and firms, projects of common interest, inter alia, in the following areas:

- transport and communications, including their infrastructure;
- informatics;
- exchange of economic and commercial information, including statistics;
- standardization and certification of products;
- energy;
- mining and processing of mineral raw materials;
- tourism;
- agriculture and agro-industries;
- veterinary and sanitary protection;
- health care and pharmaceutics;
- science and technology,

14. In order to promote their cooperation, the Participating States will act to improve the business environment and to stimulate individual and collective initiative of the enterprises and firms directly involved, mainly by:

- facilitating via bilateral negotiations, the prompt entry, stay and free movement of businessmen in their respective territories and encouraging direct contacts among enterprises and firms;
- providing support for small and medium-sized enterprises;
- contributing to the expansion of their mutual trade in goods and services and ensuring conditions favorable to such development by continuing their efforts to further reduce or progressively eliminate obstacles of all kinds, in a manner not contravening their obligations towards third parties;
- ensuring appropriate conditions for investment, capital flows and different forms of industrial cooperation, notably by concluding and putting into effect, in the near future, agreements on the avoidance of double taxation and on the promotion and protection of investments;
- encouraging the exchange of information on international tenders organized in the Participating States so as to give the opportunity to their enterprises and firms to participate therein, in accordance with the national rules and practices;
- encouraging cooperation in free economic zones.

15. The Participating States will take appropriate steps, including by promoting joint projects, for the protection of environment, particularly the preservation and the improvement of environment of the Black Sea, and the conservation, exploitation and development of its bio-productive potential,

16. The Participating States will consider or encourage the conclusion of appropriate credit and financial arrangements at governmental and non-governmental level and will seek to mobilize funds, including through international institutions and third parties, for the purpose of expanding their mutual economic and commercial cooperation and implementing specific projects of common interest in the Black Sea area. In this context, they will consider the possibilities and the ways of establishing a "Black Sea Foreign Trade and Investment Bank".

17. Meeting of the Foreign Ministers of the Participating States will be convened regularly on rotation basis, at least once a year, to review progress and to define new targets. By common understanding, ad hoc and permanent working groups of experts are to be set up to purpose the necessary arrangements concerning the cooperation in different fields. The Participating States consider that at this stage of their cooperation it is necessary to ensure institutional flexibility. Representatives of the business community should be invited to this process so as to benefit from their practical experience.

18. Those States which commit themselves to the observance of the provisions of the present document can join, with the approval of the Participating States, the whole process of cooperation. Organizations, enterprises and firms of third parties will also be given the possibility of indicating their interest in projects of common interest and, in case of agreement, of taking part in their implementation. Regional and international economic and financial institutions may also contribute in the carrying out of these projects.

THE BOSPHORUS STATEMENT

Istanbul, 25 June 1992

The Heads of State and Government of Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Georgia, Greece, Moldova, Romania, Russia, Turkey and Ukraine met and signed on 25 June 1992 in Istanbul the Declaration on Black Sea Economic Cooperation.

The Heads of State and Government,

Mindful of the historic need to further the implementation of peaceful and constructive relations among their peoples, based on the general principles of the UN charter and the CSCE documents and with the objective of creating adequate conditions for a mutually beneficial prosperity,

Sharing the basic approach that freedom must also extend to the field of the rights and rules governed by the free market economy,

Recognizing that their efforts so far must be further upgraded by the establishment of solid and effective mechanisms in order to achieve a higher a degree of economic cooperation,

Noted that the signing of the declaration signaled the beginning of a new partnership between them inspired by the values of democracy, rule of law and respect for human rights.

The Heads of State and Government reiterated their commitment to act in a spirit friendship and good neighborliness and enhance mutual respect and benefit, cooperation and dialogue in the relations between them.

They recognized that this occasion could usher in era of peace, stability and development in the region and agreed that they would all strive in good faith to achieve these ends.

The Heads of State and Government stated that by the Black Sea initiative, they could better realize concrete schemes of cooperative action that would contribute directly to the well-being and prosperity of their peoples and the region. They affirmed that feasible and practical possibilities of cooperation in all fields identified in the declaration be encouraged and actively pursued.

The Heads of State and Government acknowledged that the region is already faced by serious conflicts and that there is the danger of new tensions arising. They therefore emphasized the need for the peaceful settlement of all disputes by the means and in accordance with the principles set out in the CSCE documents to which they all subscribed. They further reaffirmed their determination in resisting aggression, violence, terrorism and lawlessness and their resolve to help establish and restore peace and justice.

With a shared vision of the future and through mutual cooperation, the Heads of State and Government looked forward to the transformation of the Black Sea into a region of peace, freedom, stability and prosperity. They stressed that in the building of the new architecture of Europe, their countries and peoples had an important and creative contribution to make and that the Black Sea Economic Cooperation constituted an effort that would facilitate the processes and structures of European integration.

The Heads of State and Government welcomed the results of the Meeting of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs held on 24 June 1992. They further noted the possibility of convening similar summit meetings in the future.

The participants expressed their gratitude to the Government and the people of Turkey for the kind hospitality extended to them during the Summit.

STATEMENT OF THE HIGH LEVEL MEETING OF THE BSEC PARTICIPATING STATES

Bucharest, 30 June 1995

The Heads of State or Government and other High Participants of Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Georgia, Greece, Moldova, Romania, Russian Federation, Turkey and Ukraine met in Bucharest on 30 June 1995 with a view to evaluating the progress achieved through the multilateral cooperation within the Black Sea Region and defining the priorities meant to consolidate and develop the mutually beneficial economic cooperation in all fields of common interest among the Participating States.

1. They reiterated the principles and objectives of the Istanbul Declaration of 25 June 1992 and took note with satisfaction that their cooperation is becoming an ever more viable and constructive component in their efforts to turn the Black Sea Region into one of prosperity, stability and peace, as well as an important instrument of social and economic progress of the Participating States, of their integration into the European structures and the world economy, of the setting up of a real climate of understanding and security in the region.

2. The Participants expressed their positive appreciation of the work done by the Meetings of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs and the BSEC Subsidiary Bodies and the public and private economic and commercial institutions for the implementation of the goals of the BSEC. They underlined the importance of the establishment of the Black Sea Trade and Development Bank. They also appreciated the readiness of the academic communities of the Participating States to cooperate in order to increase the contribution of the scientific and technological research and academic dimension to the economic and social progress in the BSEC area.

3. They expressed the determination to speed up the implementation of the objectives of the economic cooperation in the Black Sea Region in order to help overcome the serious difficulties caused by the process of transition to a market economy. They also stressed the importance of solving existing problems which have a negative impact on the climate of economic cooperation in the BSEC Region.

4. They are convinced that the BSEC's specific mechanisms in various fields of economic activity as well as the considerable material and human resources of their respective countries and their irreversible commitment to democracy represent a sound basis of cooperation among the Participating States.

5. Considering the above mentioned, they:

a. Reiterate the political will of the Participating States to continue and diversify their efforts with a view to stimulating multilateral economic cooperation within the Black Sea Region as an integral part of the European economic process which meets their interests, as well as those of Europe as a whole.

b. Stress the importance of the inner dynamics of the private sector for the development and diversification of the BSEC and emphasize the need to create an environment in which the business community should have a major role to play.

c. Consider that the accomplishment of these goals will be facilitated by the adoption of some specific projects and measures to include, inter alia:

- investigating the possibilities of concluding an agreement or agreements facilitating the trade and business cooperation of the Black Sea countries provided that the existing treaty obligations of the Participating States are respected;

- entrusting the competent authorities of their respective countries to facilitate the movement of business people when traveling for business purposes within the BSEC Region;

- taking all necessary steps to ensure that the Black Sea Trade and Development Bank starts operating the soonest possible in order to identify a list of priority projects of major interest towards which to direct both the Bank's funds and the funds obtained from the economic institutions and/or international and regional financial bodies;

- taking steps to improve the effectiveness and safety of the system of transportation and communication in the Black Sea Region with a view to developing the national infrastructures with appropriate links to the Trans-European Transport System;

- initiating a long-term program of cooperation in the field of producing and distributing energy resources;

- elaborating a joint program against pollution and for the preservation of the Black Sea bio-productive potential, taking into account the existing international legal instruments, including the Bucharest Convention on Preventing Pollution of the Black Sea (1992);

- stimulating cooperation between small and medium-sized enterprises, investors, entrepreneurs and industrialists on national and international levels by taking all appropriate measures and studying the opportunities of increasing the efficiency of the BSEC Council as a regional mechanism for business cooperation;

- undertaking concerted actions through bilateral agreements with a view of combating organized crime, drug dealing, illicit traffic of weapons and radioactive materials, all acts of terrorism and illegal border crossings.

6. The Participants noted the importance of establishing in their countries appropriate coordination structures entrusted with the implementation of BSEC projects and decisions.

7. The Participants expressed their satisfaction with the results of the Bucharest Meeting and agreed that new High Level Meetings of the BSEC Participating States in the future will be of the greatest importance for the achievement of the BSEC goals.

8. The Participants expressed their gratitude to the Government and the people of Romania for the kind hospitality extended to them during the High Level Meeting.

Bucharest, 30 June 1995

MOSCOW DECLARATION
OF THE HEADS OF STATE OR GOVERNMENT
OF THE PARTICIPATING STATES OF THE
BLACK SEA ECONOMIC COOPERATION

Moscow, 25 October 1996

The Heads of State or Government of the Participating States of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC) - Republic of Albania, Republic of Armenia, Republic of Azerbaijan, Republic of Bulgaria, Georgia, Hellenic Republic, Republic of Moldova, Romania, the Russian Federation, Republic of Turkey and Ukraine,

- expressing the desire of their countries and peoples for constructive and fruitful cooperation in various fields of human activity with the aim of making the Black Sea region a zone of peace, stability and economic prosperity,

- confirming their adherence to the principles and goals of the Istanbul Declaration and the Bosphorus Statement of 25 June 1992, the Bucharest Statement of 30 June 1995, as well as the provisions of the international agreements in force, principles and norms of international law,

- sharing the common vision of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation as an integral part of the European architecture based on human rights and fundamental freedoms, prosperity through economic liberty, social justice and equal security which is open for interaction with other countries, regional initiatives and international organizations and financial institutions,

- taking into account the growing role of regional initiatives in developing positive trends of contemporary international life,

declare their determination to realize concerted actions and to undertake additional measures for the benefit of practical progress towards achieving the BSEC goals, as well as to strengthen confidence, stability and prosperity in the region.

1. Cooperation and partnership, stability and economic prosperity

The Heads of State or Government confirm their support of efforts undertaken so far by their Governments, Parliaments, Ministries and institutions, regions and cities, business and scientific communities for the benefit of developing cooperation and partnership, democracy, good-neighbourly relations, expansion of economic cooperation, cultural and scientific ties among the BSEC countries.

They will promote the development of the Black Sea region as an area where the principles of free international cooperation and partnership, democracy and market economy prevail. They will work to ensure that the Black Sea region find an appropriate place in a new Europe of cooperation and integration.

They will strive for utilizing the rich potential and favorable development prospects of the Black Sea region to improve their ties with adjacent and neighbourly regions.

They express their intention to develop further cooperation in fields of common interest with such institutions as the European Union, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, the Council of Europe, the League of Arab States, the Economic Cooperation Organization and others, such regional initiatives as the Council of the Baltic Sea States, Central European Initiative and Euro-Mediterranean Initiative.

They support the efforts to provide peace and stability in Europe. In this regard, they consider the OSCE forthcoming Lisbon Summit (2-3 December 1996) as an event of major importance.

Recognizing the inherent ties between the Black Sea and the Mediterranean they confirm the need to develop efficient cooperation between the countries of both regions and to establish appropriate mechanisms of interaction.

While appreciating the European Union contribution to the promotion of a number of the BSEC projects, the Participants appeal to the EU to work out a common platform for developing closer contacts and mutual cooperation.

They particularly note the positive steps taken towards cooperation in the Balkans in the post-conflict period. They welcome the results of the Meeting of Foreign Ministers of the South-East European countries in Sofia and express their readiness to cooperate constructively, relying also on the BSEC structures, in the implementation of economic projects in the Balkans.

They also support peaceful initiatives concerning the Trans-Caucasian region and stress the necessity of rehabilitation of economic links in the Caucasus, taking into consideration the economic aspects of the Kislovodsk Summit Declaration signed on 3 June 1996.

They express their intention to strengthen confidence, stability and economic prosperity in the region by promoting cooperation in coping with consequences of natural disasters and technogenic accidents and ensuring ecological and nuclear security, as well as the safety of maritime and other transport.

They emphasize that the most important goal of cooperation and partnership in the Black Sea region is to improve, on a continuous basis, the living standards and the working conditions based on sustainable development, rational management of natural resources and protection of the environment.

2. Strengthening of the institutional and legal framework of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation

The Heads of State or Government agree that one of the priorities at present is the strengthening of the institutional and legal basis of the BSEC which will contribute to enhancing effectiveness of the Black Sea economic cooperation and ensuring better interaction in all its dimensions including intergovernmental, interparliamentary, business, finance, academic and public ones. For this purpose they consider it appropriate that the process of transformation of the BSEC into a regional economic organization be continued in accordance with the mandate given by the Eighth MMFA.

They note that the BSEC Parliamentary Assembly, the BSTDB, the Business Council as well as the Centers affiliated to the Black Sea Economic Cooperation are of major importance for its further development and consider that their active, coordinated and efficient functioning will enhance the BSEC.

They welcome the ratification of the Agreement Establishing the Black Sea Trade and Development Bank by eight Member-States namely Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Greece, Moldova, Romania, Russia and Turkey. At the same time they invite those Member-States that have not yet accomplished their obligations, to speed up the relevant processes in order to enable the Bank to start the relevant operations at the beginning of 1997.

They make an appeal to the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the European Investment Bank to consider the possibility of developing co-financing programs and to eventually participate as members in the BSTDB. They appeal as well to the European Union to adopt relevant decisions enabling the European Investment Bank to extend its operations to cover all the BSEC countries.

They are convinced that cooperation of their countries in the Black Sea region will be more effective, solid and developing in close interaction among national Parliaments. In this framework they emphasize the role and place of the Parliamentary Assembly as the parliamentary dimension of the BSEC providing consistent support to the Black Sea cooperation process. To this end the BSEC-PABSEC interaction shall be based on an appropriate mechanism.

The Heads of State or Government express their appreciation on the results of the Meeting of the Ministers of Internal Affairs in Yerevan in October 1996 that launched interaction of law-enforcement bodies of the Participating States in combating organized crime, illicit trafficking of drugs and weapons, radioactive materials, illegal migration, and all acts of terrorism, thus contributing to the creation of favorable conditions for promoting trade and economic cooperation in the Black Sea region.

Recognizing the Meetings of Foreign Ministers as a regular decision making organ of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation, they also agree that the ministers/deputy ministers responsible for specific economic sectors, i.e. transport, communications, energy, trade and industry, environment, tourism will meet on a regular basis to discuss the issues of cooperation and to take concrete decisions within their competence.

They believe that the experience of first meetings at these levels will encourage the holding of other meetings of the BSEC ministers/deputy ministers for considering appropriate projects and programs of multilateral cooperation.

3. Regional stability

The Heads of State or Government view the economic cooperation and partnership as the cornerstone of lasting regional stability and as a practical mechanism of reducing the political risks and preventing destabilization. They agree upon the necessity of joint efforts to ensure stability in the region and they attach special importance to the adoption of urgent concrete measures for combating organized crime, violence, terrorism, illicit drugs, weapons and radioactive materials trafficking, and illegal migration, etc.

They agree to instruct the Ministers of Foreign Affairs together with other appropriate authorities to elaborate programs to strengthen cooperation in these fields as well as to develop further interaction between the law-enforcing, border, customs and immigration authorities, search and rescue services and units for actions in emergency situations to eliminate the consequences of natural and technogenic disasters.

4. Programs of action

The Heads of State or Government also agree on the desirability of developing and adopting national programs to promote regional cooperation within the BSEC and of taking steps at the national level for more active involvement of ministries and institutions, regions and cities, business support funds and other similar structures in this cooperation, which would not contradict the legislations of the Participating States.

They express their support to the projects of cooperation and in particular the projects of:

- laying regional and transregional fiber optical communication lines;

- development of a project for the interconnection of the BSEC countries' power systems, which would be open for power networks of neighboring countries and regions;

- implementation of major transregional projects for energy transportation;

- development in the BSEC region of a transport infrastructure integrated into the European networks.

They welcome the adoption at the Eighth Meeting of BSEC Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Statement on Basic Principles of Investment Collaboration in the BSEC Region and consider it an important contribution to the future development of a reliable basis for the promotion and protection of investments.

They believe that in order to give impetus to the trade cooperation on the regional level the competent BSEC bodies together with the appropriate Ministries of the Participating States, taking into account the obligations of several BSEC States deriving from their participation in international organizations, should accelerate introducing the regime of mutual trade preferences between the BSEC States and examine in 1997 the possibilities for creation in the BSEC region of a free-trade area.

They call upon private sector representatives and other business communities of the BSEC Participating States and extraregional states to use more efficiently their potential in the interest of cooperation and ensuring economic growth, that have become possible as a result of the ongoing political reforms and structural transformations in the Black Sea region.

In this context, they consider the Business Forum that took place in Bucharest as a useful initiative and they express the view that it would be desirable to hold similar gatherings of the representatives of business communities in the future and encourage other forms of cooperation of this kind.

They also agree that their economic organization will be enhanced by various measures in the sphere of human contacts.

5. Future steps

The Participants expressed their satisfaction with the results of the Moscow Meeting, they agreed to support the realization of the BSEC objectives and confirmed their readiness to meet when necessary in the future to this end.

The Heads of State or Government expressed their gratitude to the Government and the people of the Russian Federation for the kind hospitality extended to Them during the Moscow Meeting.

YALTA SUMMIT DECLARATION

Yalta, 5 June 1998

1. We, the Heads of State or Government of the Participating States of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC), have met in Yalta on 5 June 1998 to assess the progress of the BSEC since its inception by the Istanbul Declaration of 25 June 1992 and to give guidance for its future course and development. We all share the conviction that the considerable progress achieved in our multilateral economic cooperation contributes to enhancing peace, stability and security to the benefit of our peoples, and that time has come to consolidate the international legal personality of the BSEC. To that end we signed the Charter of the Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation, an act which transforms the existing intergovernmental mechanism into a fully-fledged regional economic organization.

2. We share the common view that in the 21st century the role of the Black Sea region, both in world politics and in the global economy, will grow substantially, due to its strategic location and vast economic potential. The BSEC should adapt itself to a world of overall transition and rapid change, embracing new areas of cooperation while deepening the cooperation in the existing ones. This requires a new BSEC economic agenda for the future, in order to meet the challenges of the era of globalization and information society, to stimulate economic growth and innovation, to create employment and build on the synergy that exists between our countries.

3. We reaffirm our commitment to trade liberalization and harmonization of foreign trade regimes, with due regard to the WTO rules and practices. We attach particular importance to the implementation of the existing agreements between the BSEC Participating States and the EU, as well as accession of all Black Sea States to the WTO, as important first steps in that direction and appeal to the EU and WTO to give the BSEC the necessary support to achieve these goals. We also reconfirm our political will to gradually establish a BSEC Free Trade Area as a long-term objective and to elaborate a Plan of Action of a staged process to that end.

4. We are convinced that the private sector should be the driving force for the consolidation of the BSEC process, so that the aim to complement cooperation between governments by cooperation among the business communities be achieved. We support the involvement of the private sector in the development and implementation of the concrete projects of interest to the BSEC Participating States.

5. We express our deep satisfaction with the establishment, early this year, of the Black Sea Trade and Development Bank in Thessaloniki, which will be the main financial pillar of the BSEC and expect it to commence its operations soon. It will give a new quality to the BSEC, whose activities are now evolving from the stage of project development into the stage of project implementation. We appeal to the international banking and financial institutions to strongly support the BSTDB and consider ways and means to participate in its activities.

6. We consider project implementation to be of crucial importance for the consolidation and further development of the BSEC process, especially the implementation of such projects, which create new shared values and generate interaction among the interested states. In this connection, we assess positively the idea of selecting priority areas of cooperation and designating country coordinators on those areas. This new set-up will increase the efficacy of project execution by a strengthened commitment of the Participating States to take the lead in their implementation.

7. The BSEC will further develop its already established cooperation with the European Commission, OSCE, WTO, UN/ECE, UNIDO and other international organizations on the basis of complementarity, comparative advantage and subsidiarity. It should further elaborate the modalities for cooperation with the Central European Initiative (CEI), the Royaumont Process of Stability and Good-Neighborliness in South-Eastern Europe, the Process on Stability, Security and Cooperation in South-Eastern Europe, the South-East European Cooperative Initiative (SECI) and explore the possibility to establish cooperation with other interested regional initiatives. We expect that the Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation be accorded an Observer status in the UN General Assembly.

8. In this cooperation, the BSEC-EU relationship is of a particular importance. We welcome the Conclusions of the EU Council of Ministers of last December as a first step in the elaboration of a comprehensive strategy of the EU towards the BSEC and its Participating States. We fully share the view that the BSEC-EU cooperation in the fields of transport, energy, telecommunication networks, trade, ecology, sustainable development, justice and home affairs has a promising future. The ultimate aim is to progressively shape the EURO-BSEC economic area.

9. The BSEC has gradually become an attractive partner for cooperation, both for states from our region and beyond. We commend Austria, Egypt, Israel, Italy, Poland, Slovak Republic and Tunisia for their constructive participation in the BSEC events as Observers. At the same time we express our gratitude to those states who have applied for membership or observer status and appreciate their desire to become a part of the BSEC family. We agree to discuss the issue of enlargement after the Charter of the Organization of the BSEC enters into force. We will be in a position to address the issue of granting observer or other appropriate status to countries and a number of NGOs in due course.

10. It is our belief that now the BSEC serves more than one purpose. It is an indispensable complementary means to accelerate economic and social progress and hence to consolidate the democratic institutions of all our countries. It is also a preparatory ground for integration into the united Europe of the 21st century. It presents a historic opportunity to build up, step-by-step, our common future together through mutual cooperation at all levels- state to state, region to region, people to people- so that the Black Sea region becomes one of the economic areas of attraction for investment, of prosperity and stability in the next century.

11. We call upon the National Parliaments to ratify, accept or approve the Charter of the Organization as soon as possible, being convinced that the Parliamentary Assembly of the BSEC will also assist in this respect. We highly appreciate the valuable contribution of the PABSEC to the development of the BSEC process, for the prosperity of all and each of the countries here represented.

12. We express our gratitude to the Government and the people of Ukraine for their warm hospitality and excellent organization of the Summit.

ISTANBUL SUMMIT DECLARATION

Istanbul, 17 November 1999

1. We, the Heads of State or Government of the Member States of the Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC), gathered in Istanbul on 17 November 1999 to appraise, in the light of the latest political, economic and security developments in Europe, the new opportunities created by the transformation of the BSEC into a regional economic organization. Following the achievements since the adoption of the Istanbul and Moscow Summit Declarations, we confirm our adherence to the provisions of the Yalta Summit Declaration and solemnly reaffirm our political will to contribute to peace and security in the BSEC area by means of multilateral economic cooperation.

2. Having held our gathering on the eve of the OSCE Istanbul Summit of 1999, we reaffirm our adherence to the principles of the UN Charter, the Helsinki Final Act and the OSCE principles, norms and decisions. We believe that the new Charter for European Security, to be adopted within the framework of the OSCE, will strengthen the non-hierarchical and mutually beneficial cooperation among the OSCE and other organizations and institutions. In that context enhanced cooperation between the BSEC and the OSCE in their respective fields of competence will serve the goals of a stable peace and prosperity in the whole of the OSCE area.

3. We share a common view that during its seven years of existence, the BSEC has contributed substantially to the process of enhancement of peace and security in the BSEC area by applying the pragmatic concept that economic cooperation is an effective confidence-building measure and serves as a pillar in the new European architecture.

4. We confirm our commitment to promote effective economic, social and democratic reforms in the BSEC area, the establishment of vigorous market economies and the development of civil societies, which are of importance for the BSEC area cooperation. This commitment will also be instrumental to meeting the aspirations of the Member States wishing to fully integrate into Europe.

5. We appreciate the role attached to the BSEC by the Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe in promoting mutual understanding, improving the overall political climate and fostering economic development in the BSEC area. We welcome the fact that the Stability Pact emphasizes the BSEC engagement to peace, security and stability through economic cooperation and invites our Organization to participate in its implementation.

We are committed to contribute to the implementation of the Stability Pact objectives in full conformity with the BSEC objectives and goals, in close cooperation with other international organizations and in accordance with the "Contribution of the BSEC to the Stability Pact", adopted by the Thessaloniki Council of Ministers on 27 October 1999.

6. We welcome the continuation of the BSEC-EU dialogue at the BSEC Thessaloniki Ministerial Council and we regard the BSEC Platform for Cooperation with the EU as an appropriate basis for interaction in fields of common interest. Therefore, we appeal to the EU to develop a comprehensive strategy towards the BSEC area and to assist the BSEC in the elaboration and implementation of concrete regional projects.

7. We are convinced that the new identity, acquired by the BSEC as a regional economic organization requires, whenever possible, resolutions and decisions with a mechanism for their implementation, as well as a rapid evolution from the stage of project development into the one of project implementation. We consider as a high priority the establishment of an implementation mechanism of the BSEC Agreement on Emergency Assistance and Emergency Response, in view of the recent tragic disasters in the region.

8. We share the conviction that at the new stage of consolidation of the BSEC, the implementation of concrete joint projects for cooperation should be the core of its activities. The most rewarding perspective before the Black Sea Trade and Development Bank is the realization of viable and bankable projects of interest to the Member States with as large as possible co-financing by other interested banking and financial institutions. We reiterate our commitment to support and promote BSTDB as the financial pillar of the BSEC for enhancing the economic development of the region.

9. We applaud the UN General Assembly for granting Observer Status to the BSEC. This act enabled the BSEC to join the family of international organizations as an equal partner, assisting the region to engage in a more competitive manner in the globalization process.

10. We emphasize the role of the Parliamentary Assembly as the parliamentary dimension of the BSEC, providing effective and close interaction among national parliaments and consistent support to the BSEC cooperation process.

11. We highly appreciate the contribution of the Republic of Turkey for the establishment and further development of the BSEC and express our gratitude to the Government and people of Turkey for the opportunity to meet in Istanbul, the birth place of the BSEC.

ISTANBUL DECENNIAL SUMMIT DECLARATION

LOOKING BEYOND TEN YEARS
OF
COOPERATION AND PROGRESS

Istanbul, 25 June 2002

1. We, the Heads of State or Government of the Member States of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation Organization (BSEC), met in Istanbul on 25 June 2002, on the occasion of the Tenth Anniversary of the founding of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation, to review the contribution the process has made over the last ten years to developing and strengthening the good neighbourly relations, regional, interregional cooperation, integration, peace, stability and security and to consider new opportunities and ways of further improvements to meet the challenges ahead.

2. Over the past decade the BSEC has proved its value as a forum of trust, understanding and cooperation. It has fostered significant progress in its Member States' policies on promoting democracy, market economy and open society and, through this, has supported the efforts towards a better positioning of our region in today's world, in which countries are moving ever closer towards openness and economic integration.

3. Our successes justify and encourage us to look to the future not only with confidence but also with great expectations. The Black Sea region, with its position right at the heart of Eurasia, stands to reap great benefits from its increased global geostrategic importance. The natural resources of our countries, our solid scientific and technological base, our rich cultures and traditions, our highly educated, skilled and creative people will all be the vehicles of the success of the BSEC Region. Our Organization will be needed, even more than before, to help us maximize our common values and interests, and we reinforce our commitment to further promote the BSEC process as a reliable means to embrace new domains of interaction while deepening the cooperation in the existing ones.

4. The political, economic and security developments in Europe clearly indicate that peace on the continent depends on the stability and prosperity of its regions. They also demonstrate that the Black Sea region is in need of further efforts towards security and stability. We encourage the BSEC Council of Ministers of Foreign Affairs to consider ways and means of enhancing contribution of the BSEC to strengthening security and stability in the region.

5. The BSEC was initiated ten years ago by the profound changes in Europe that opened up unprecedented opportunities for cooperation among our nations. We acknowledge today that the challenge remains how best to utilize this potential and translate it into increased interaction for the benefit of our peoples. In this context we reaffirm our determination to further implement the provisions of the BSEC Charter with a view to realizing its resources to the maximum extent and implementing its principles and objectives into every-day practice.

6. We welcome with high satisfaction the adoption of the BSEC Economic Agenda and the decision on the establishment of the BSEC Project Development Fund on the basis of voluntary contributions and the related institutional capacity intended to facilitate the elaboration and promotion of projects with high regional cooperation impact and call on the Member States to actively contribute to its functioning. In this respect we believe that our Organization should further consider ways and take appropriate actions to function more effectively and efficiently. To this end, we task the BSEC Council of Ministers of Foreign Affairs to enhance the coordinating functions of the BSEC PERMIS and its Secretary General, in line with the provisions of the BSEC Economic Agenda.

7. As the dynamics of the emerging new European architecture open up the potential for effective partnerships with BSEC, the BSEC Member States attach importance to their policies in building up a tangible relationship with the EU. In this respect, we will continue the efforts to ensure coordination and cooperation between the BSEC and the EU. For this purpose, we call on the BSEC Council of Ministers of Foreign Affairs and the EU to undertake concrete steps to advance this cooperation.

8. Recognizing that any dispute or conflict in the region impedes cooperation, we stress the need to solve such disputes or conflicts on the basis of the norms and principles of international law.

9. We firmly condemn terrorism in all its forms and manifestations as a profound challenge to peace and security and a highly dangerous threat to political, economic and social stability of States and the international community as a whole, adversely affecting the market economies and the development of multilateral and bilateral cooperation. We reaffirm our resolution to take all the necessary steps, while firmly respecting human rights and fundamental freedoms as enshrined in applicable instruments, countering terrorism and other linked illegal activities. We deem it imperative that the relevant BSEC organs and national competent authorities enhance the implementation of the BSEC Agreement on Cooperation in Combating Crime, in particular in its organized forms and, furthermore, consider new means of cooperation within the mandate of the BSEC.

10. We declare solemnly that BSEC may serve as a testimony and an example for the harmonious cooperation among States having varying spiritual and cultural backgrounds. We are convinced that this diversity is an essential asset of our Organization and enrichment for our countries and peoples, promoting better understanding among civilizations.

11. We highly appreciate the ground covered by the Organization in such a short span of time and would like to amplify our unswerving political support for the future success of this promising and dynamic organization.

12. We express our gratitude to the Government and people of the Republic of Turkey for the warm hospitality and excellent organization of the Summit on the Tenth Anniversary of the BSEC at its birthplace, Istanbul.

FAMILY PHOTO OF THE ISTANBUL DECENNIAL SUMMIT