Ukraine, Kiev / corr. Trend Z.Novotviski /Ukrainian politician and Director of Political Research Centre 'Sofia', Andrei Ermolayev, considers that for the Ukraine, the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC) may become a priority for south geopolitical policy.
Commenting on the BSEC's Istanbul conference, Ermolayev said that he considers the BSEC as one of the most perspective young sub-regional organizations which provides an opportunity to establish a new trade zone on the basis of Black Sea countries. "Here there are opportunities for the development of joint transport projects with the participation of all member-countries. Here I see large prospects for the creation of regional production and the sharing of labour, because we cooperate with countries that live in a second industrial wave," Ermolayev said. As an example, he highlighted the cooperation of Ukraine and Turkey where it is possible for the development of new kinds of production and use of products, especially Ukrainian metal and Turkish machine-building.
In addition, the politician considers that there are great prospects to share labour in the agrarian industry. According to him, the BSEC is one of the most interesting and attractive regional partners of the European Union. "Taking into consideration that the expansion rates of the EU slacken, I think that the countries of 'old' Europe which form the foundation of the EU will be interested in creating a network of tolerant, friendly regional unions which will develop not only economic and commercial relations, but also security and political cooperation," Ermolayev stressed.
The politician positively assesses that the Ukraine participates in the BSEC, as well as the new developing organization GUAM ( Georgia, Ukraine, Azerbaijan and Moldova). "I think that it would be better to keep GUAM of a peaceful economic nature, not to politicize the organization so as not to create a point of tension in the region, but pay more attention to the BSEC. Because the BSEC brings together strong and influential countries such as Russia, Turkey which assumes importance for Ukraine," the Ukrainian politician underlined.
The BSEC was founded at Turkey's initiative with respect to establishing multilateral cooperation of Black Sea basin countries in the spheres of trade and economic trade, transport, telecommunications and tourism and ecology. Thirteen countries - Austria, Belarus, Germany, Egypt, Israel, Italy, Poland, Slovakia, the United States, Croatia, Tunisia, France and the Czech Republic hold observer status of the BSEC. On June 25-26 the 15th jubilee summit of BSEC State and Government Heads took place in Istanbul ( Turkey). The summit covered prospects of cooperation with regards to energy, transport, ecology and the fight against organized crime. As a result of the summit, the leaders of the BSEC countries passed a declaration.
The chairmanship to BSEC will be transferred from Turkey to Ukraine on 1 November 2007.