This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ISTANBUL 002111 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ECIN ETRD TU PREL
SUBJECT: BSEC: ROMANIAN CHAIRMANSHIP'S VISION OF 
COOPERATION WITH U.S. 
 
REF: A. ANKARA 2031 
 
     ¶B. ISTANBUL 645 
     ¶C. ISTANBUL 470 
     ¶D. STATE 43828 
 
¶1.  (SBU) Summary: Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC) 
Executive Manager Stefana Greavu and Project Coordinator 
Konstantinos Zaimis reviewed possible areas of cooperation 
with the U.S. in separate meetings with us on December 8. 
Greavu outlined Romania's priorities for its 
Chairmanship-in-office, together with a number of particular 
topics it views as appropriate for cooperation with the U.S., 
including security, regional energy, trade and transport, 
emergency assistance and good governance issues.  Noting that 
Romania's six-month term will expire in April, she stressed 
that Romania has effectively utilized the "troika approach" 
to ensure project continuity under the subsequent Russian 
chairmanship.  End Summary. 
 
¶2. (SBU) Greavu, a Romanian national, had just returned from 
consultations in Bucharest to review Romania's plans for its 
six-month BSEC Chairmanship.  She noted that her 
consultations had been curtailed because the Ministry was 
focused on Secretary Rice's visit to Romania, which occurred 
at the same time, but that Ministry officials had shared with 
her the text of an aide memoire prepared by the Romanian MFA, 
which outlined Romania's priorities, together with areas 
where it believes BSEC and the U.S. can cooperate fruitfully. 
 She in turn shared that document with us.  The priorities 
identified by Romania include: developing a partnership 
relation between BSEC and the EU, launching a reflection 
process on BSEC's future, consolidating the security and 
stability dimension within BSEC, consolidating democratic 
processes and economic reforms in Eastern European and 
Caucasian countries, pursuing various development projects 
and developing trade exchanges among Black Sea states, and 
enhancing BSEC collaboration with other regional 
organizations. 
 
¶3. (SBU) In the paper, Romania identified six possible fields 
of "cooperation of mutual interest" with the U.S.  In 
response to our question about how these areas might be 
impacted by the transfer of BSEC's chair to Russia in April, 
she stressed that the country has for the first time 
effectively implemented the organization,s "Troika" 
principle (grouping present, past, and future chairs), 
offering hope that there will be continuity between the 
Romanian chairmanship and the April-October Russian 
chairmanship.  She noted that areas suggested by Romania for 
cooperation with the U.S. include: 
 
--  Security issues, namely "soft security measures" for 
combatting crime, including particularly acts of terrorism, 
narcotics trafficking, arms trafficking, money laundering and 
other economic fraud, smuggling, illegal migration and human 
trafficking, counterfeiting, corruption, ecological crime, 
high-tech crime and maritime crime.  The paper suggests 
enhancing cooperation with the Bucharest SECI Center for 
Combating Trans-border Crime (which Greavu noted had sparked 
some concern in U.S. circles in the past), with a medium term 
goal of building a "fusion center" to counter illicit 
activities in the Black Sea Region. 
 
-- Regional Energy market, energy transportation, and energy 
security (through relevant working groups and the BSEC 
Business Council).  Concrete measures include a possible 
international conference on the energy issue, with the 
participation of local Amchams, with the goal of establishing 
a "regulatory forum" for the energy market in the Black Sea 
area, as well as U.S. support for a "Bucharest Regional 
Energy Stock Exchange." 
 
-- Trade and Transportation facilitation (through relevant 
working groups as well as the Black Sea Trade and Development 
Bank).  Suggested measures include financing of projects on 
alternative transport routes, USAID organization of seminars 
on relevant topics, and support for a follow-on "Trade and 
Transport Facilitation in Southeast Europe (TTFSE) conference. 
 
-- Environmental Protection (through the environmental 
working group).  Possible common seminar with Turkish 
participation on ways to prevent oil pollution from 
transiting tankers, and organization of a meeting of U.S. and 
BSEC experts on environmental issues.  (The paper notes that 
UNDP is financing USD 6 million in environmental projects for 
representatives of the Black Sea Convention.) 
 
-- Good governance and education (including student exchange, 
training, human resources), through a working group that will 
soon be formed and through the International Center for Black 
Sea Studies (ICBSS).  Suggestions include a scholarship fund 
financed by the U.S. for students interested in studying in 
the oil and gas fields, and involvement of CSIS- Euro 
Atlantic Action Commission in the organization of seminars 
and conferences. 
 
-- Emergency Assistance (through working group).  Romania 
suggests exploring organizing training or mini-conferences on 
better cooperation and inter-operability of civil assistance 
services, and providing assistance through exploratory 
missions and logistic support to combat avian flu. 
 
¶4. (SBU) In a separate session, Konstantinos Zaimis, BSEC's 
project coordinator, outlined for us the organization's newly 
started project fund, which provides "seed money" to useful 
projects that have the support of at least three BSEC 
members.  The fund provides small grants of USD 15,000 to 
these projects, but the organization is interested in working 
with other donors to multiply the benefits of the projects. 
He noted that the first three projects that the fund has 
supported will soon be completed; other new ideas are 
currently in the pipeline. 
 
¶5. (SBU) Comment: Many of Romania's suggestions would require 
the commitment of significant U.S. resources, something the 
U.S. made clear was not on the horizon in the specific 
context of its BSEC observership request.  To the extent, 
however, that BSEC's priorities tie in with the priorities of 
already existing U.S. programs and activities, Romania's 
suggestions may be worth exploring.  Post understands, for 
instance, that USAID representatives will take part in next 
week's BSEC conference on electricity transmission networks. 
End Comment. 
JONES