Ambassador Ashot KOCHARIAN - Executive Manager in PERMIS is in charge of the Working Group on Cooperation in Emergency Assistance and the AD Hoc Working of Experts in Seismic Risk
akocharian@bsec-organization.org Tel: +90 (212) 22963 30-35 (Ext: 144)
Romania is the Country-Coordinator of the Working Group on Cooperation in Emergency Assistance from 1 July 2023 until 30 June 2025.
The Russian Federation is the Country-Coordinator of the Ad Hoc Working Group of Experts in Seismic Risk from 1 July 2024 until 30 June 2025.
The Hellenic Republic is the Country-Coordinator of the Ad Hoc Working Group of Experts in Seismic Risk from 1 July 2025 until 30 June 2026.
Working Group on Cooperation in Emergency Assistance
The key priorities for BSEC activity in the field of Emergency Assistance are defined by Goal 17 “Cooperation in Emergency Situations” of the BSEC Economic Agenda “Towards a sustainable future of the wider Black Sea area” adopted in 2023.
The main activities are carried out by the BSEC Working Group on Cooperation in Emergency Assistance, established in 1999 pursuant to Article 7 of the Agreement among the Governments of the Participating States of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation on Collaboration in Emergency Assistance and Emergency Response to Natural and Man-made Disasters, which was signed in Sochi, the Russian Federation, on 15 April 1998 and entered in force on 11 March 2003. The Additional Protocol to the mentioned Agreement was signed in Kyiv, Ukraine, on 20 October 2005 and entered in force on 5 July 2007.
Five Meetings of the Ministers in charge of Emergency Situations and of the Heads of Emergency Services were held that adopted Declarations and Joint Statements serving as guidance for the activities in this domain.
The Working Group on Cooperation in Emergency Assistance focuses its activity on strengthening cooperation and enhancing interaction among the BSEC Member States in implementing the provisions of the mentioned Agreement and the Additional Protocol, on promoting coordination among the BSEC Member States and developing international cooperation in preventing and eliminating the consequences of the natural and man-made disasters, on providing necessary assistance in case of emergency situations in the BSEC Member States and on promoting regional trainings, seminars and scientific conferences on emergency assistance.
The Working Group exercises the authority over the BSEC Network of the Liaison Officers on Emergency Assistance established according to Article 1 of the Additional Protocol to the Agreement among the Governments of the BSEC Participating States in Cooperation in Emergency Assistance and Emergency Response to Natural and Man-Made Disasters and over the Ad Hoc Working Group of Experts in Seismic Risks, established in accordance with the Resolution of the Council of Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the BSEC Member States at the 24th Meeting held on 8 June 2011, in Bucharest, Romania.
The Working Group was also exercising its authority over the Ad Hoc Working Group on Massive Fires and the Ad Hoc Working Group on Floods and Torrents established in 2012 in accordance with the resolution adopted at the 26th Meeting of the Meeting of the Council of Ministers of Foreign Affairs held on 11 June 2012 in Belgrade.
On 27 October 2020 at the Meeting of the BSEC Working Group on Emergency Assistance it was decided to merge the BSEC AD Hoc Working Group on Massive Forest Fires and the BSEC AD Hoc Working Group on Floods and Torrents with the BSEC Working Group on Cooperation in Emergency Assistance. The relevant resolution on the merger was adopted at the BSEC CSO Meeting held on 30-31 March 2021 and approved by the 43rd Meeting of the Council of Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the BSEC Member States held under the Albanian Chairmanship on 30 June 2021.
In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, upon the initiative of the BSEC PERMIS, the first ever Video-Conference of the Working Group on Cooperation in Emergency Assistance and of the BSEC Network of Liaison Officers on Emergency Assistance was held online on 3 June 2020.
Ad Hoc Working Group of Experts in Seismic Risk
The BSEC Ad Hoc Working Group of Experts in Seismic Risk was established in accordance with the Resolution of the Council of Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the BSEC Member States at its 24th Meeting held on 8 June 2011 in Bucharest. It focuses its activities on multilateral cooperation of appropriate national authorities, seismological institutes and centers as well as of representatives of the engineering communities, other institutions/centers, dealing with seismic risk reduction, on contribution to the application of the achievements in seismology in developing effective measures for seismic risk reduction, as well as on exchanging scientific and relevant technological information and data through the implementation of multilateral programs and projects.
The Ad Hoc Working Group is subordinated to the Working Group on Cooperation in Emergencty Assistance, reports to the latter and convenes its meetings at least once a year.
Besides meetings at the BSEC Headquarters and online meetings, events of practical nature such as seminars and trainings on seismic risk are organized in BSEC Member States.
One project implemented in the field of seismology was financed by the BSEC Project Development Fund. Another project was co-financed by the recipient Member State.
For further information kindly contact the Executive Manager in charge.