MARMARA FOUNDATION IN BUCHAREST FOR 4th BOARD MEETING OF BSCSIF

        President of Marmara Foundation Dr. Akkan Suver in company with Member of the board of Marmara Foundation Ret. Gen. Necdet Timur attended the 4th Board Meeting of the Black Sea and Caspian Sea International Fund for Cooperation and Partnership which was held in Bucharest, Romania. Dr. Suver who is the Vice-President of BSCSIF as well, delivered a speech about his new road map offers and his evaluations for the Funds’ future periods. (25.06.2010)

       

Statement By Dr. Akkan Suver in 4th Board Meeting of BSCSIF

           Considerations For the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea International Fund for Cooperation and Partnership

         The Black Sea and the Caspian Sea International Fund for Cooperation and Partnership since its foundation on March 2009 up to today has settled down in a beautiful and functional office in a distinguished district of Bucharest, has employed its skeleton crew and has taken some important steps. Its presidency has been conducted worthily by distinguished Mr. Iulian Fota, National Security Advisor to The President of Romania.

        In spite of their institutionalization and wide experience, the Black Sea Countries and Caspian Sea Countries have some significant security matters coming from their histories. In the meantime, they have very important geography structuring 21st century in consequence of being the central bridge and basin that unites the power centers of Europe, Russia, India and China in the world systems. By considering them with their energy basin characteristics, it is likely to say they would shape the 21st century as geopolitical actors. The importance of their roles will be possibly understood in the next 10 or 15 years. The transformation of Black Sea and Caspian Sea Countries can naturally affect the functioning of the international system. In this context, it does not seem much unlikely that quite a few international systems notably United Nations, European Union and Shanghai Cooperation Organization would be affected and changed.

        We know that the Black Sea and Caspian Sea Countries have security, economic and social problems which should be solved and assured stability both within their own country and with each other. These countries must have some common purposes as keeping sustainable economic, military and political cooperation, even if they are unable to solve their problems with each other. At this juncture, the fund should take an active role in strengthening the partnership and cooperation with various confidence building economic and social activities.

        In the light of the statements above, some summary study notes was prepared to overview the goals of the fund starting with its founding objectives, to determine the conditions of deliberation and the agenda and to develop the draft measures and decisions.

  1. Essential objective of the study is to reveal the principles and methods to convert the foundation into an active and efficient organization with intent to enable the Black Sea and Caspian Sea Region to be in sustainable peace, stability and welfare.
  2. Undoubtedly, the achievements of the foundation will come into prominence in direct proportion to its contributions to strengthen the political and economic stability and to enroot the good neighbor relations by increasing the welfare.

      Organizational

  1. The fund should possess an issued certificate in reference to the international law, containing its identified organs, the authorities and responsibilities of these organs, the income and sources of the foundation, with the support of Black Sea Economic Cooperation. (if necessary as a subsidiary organ of BSEC)
    1. The board of trustees of the foundation should consist of prime ministers or foreign affairs ministers of member countries or some government officials appointed by them and representatives of Non Governmental Organizations. Their attendance to decision making activities of the fund should be provided.
    2. The board of trustees should build an administrative board and an executive board (officials and general secretariat).

      The executive board should consist of 3 members (Troika). It should include current president, previous president and one of the possible future presidents. The continuity of information exchange can be obtained by this way.

    1. The framework of employment and numbers of employees which would be administrative officers charged under the general secretary and contracted scientists should be defined.
  1. Financial
    1. Three-year budget of the foundation should be determined and a budget repository should be created. The fund should provide opportunity to sustain itself by creating new financial sources.
    2. The subjects below must be clarified.
      1. Do the founding countries have contribution fee?
      2. Donation opportunities?
      3. Project revenues?
      4. Management with working capital system?
      5. Audit system?

 

  1. Dynamics determining the road map

      By way of taking projects from the United Nations, BSEC and the governments of member countries, a support policy must be identified in the foundation documents.
5.1 The fund members should congregate under the leadership of Romania or Azerbaijan in the fall of this year and proclaim a joint declaration about taking a constructive role in the systems of the region and the world at large.
5.2 The projects which can meet the exact requirements of the region countries some like the ones  that supports the transition to free market economy, protection of the environment, and the ones that contributes the development of human rights, fundamental freedoms and democracy, should be given priority to.
A cooperation protocol with universities should be prepared and signed and the foundation should declare that it accepts the standards for accreditation before the international organizations and institutions.
5.3 Accreditation application for European Union, United Nations, The World Bank, G-20, G-8 and PABSEC should be started without delay.
5.4 The fund should make major contributions for the economic development of the region countries and it should intervene to gather businessmen.
5.5 While setting objectives for itself, the foundation should take care to choose parallel goals with the regional security and economic cooperation organizations such as CECI, BSEC, IP, OSCE and the foundation should be open to support the cooperative activities like the construction of new free trade areas, elimination of the legal barriers to trade, facilitations of border and coastal trade, technological transfer, rope of the people and the goods at commerce inside of the region countries, facilities on visa procedures.
5.6 Communication and transportation networks should be accessible and projects should be produced for integration and rapid growth.
5.7 The projects on development of sea transport and tourism in the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea region should be put into practice as one of the objectives of the foundation.
5.8 Transportation and marketing of Natural Gas and Oil energy sources to western consumers with reliable and effective pipelines and with conservation of natural resources must be achieved and the foundation should submit a proposal to PABSEC about obtaining a reasonable fund from these kinds of revenues.
5.9 The electric industries should be supported by the region countries mutually, and the foundation should produce cooperation projects to ensure that.
5.10 The fund should produce and support the projects of cooperation and increase of productivity on agricultural sector and industries, food and packaging industries.
5.11 The fund should produce projects and support projects of member countries regarding the protection and the rehabilitation of the ecologies of Black Sea and Caspian Sea regions.
5.12 The fund should produce and submit projects of economic coordinative studies that can provide economic data exchange for member countries.
5.13 The fund should produce and submit projects of establishing bank and financial institutions in the member countries. A proposal presentation regarding our interest for taking on the task of the projects about the issue must be prepared for forthcoming PABSEC meetings.
5.14 Joint education projects about tourism sector should be demanded from member countries governments.
5.15 The fund should submit projects to increase productivity, cooperation and trade volume between the works councils of member countries. Briefings about the significance and procedures of private enterprise system in market economy should be presented to the ministries of member countries.
5.16 Member countries should appoint representative/ participant observer/official at the level of secretariat on behalf of their establishment at general assemblies of the fund.
5.17 Finally, if it is possible, I would like to lay my opinion before you to consider possible arrangements which would provide the representations of the fund in the member countries.