VZCZCXRO2983
PP RUEHIK
DE RUEHIK #0017/01 0982031
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P R 082031Z APR 09
FM AMCONSUL THESSALONIKI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0434
RUEHTV/AMEMBASSY TEL AVIV PRIORITY 0004
INFO RUEHTH/AMEMBASSY ATHENS 0320
RUEHSQ/AMEMBASSY SKOPJE 0029
RUEHSF/AMEMBASSY SOFIA 0022
RUEHTI/AMEMBASSY TIRANA 0023
RUEHIK/AMCONSUL THESSALONIKI 0477

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 THESSALONIKI 000017 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR EUR/SE, OES/STC, OES/ENV 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ECON ENRG SENV PGOV PREL IS GR
SUBJECT: THESSALONIKI:  PROPOSAL FOR BALKAN - EASTERN MED 
ENVIRONMENTAL COOPERATION 
 
¶1. SUMMARY:  The Thessaloniki-based Balkan Environment Center 
would like to initiate cooperation on water management and 
renewable energy with the northern Israel-based Galilee Society, 
beginning with a video-teleconference discussion with scientists 
from both organizations on Earth Day, April 22.  ConGen Thess is 
prepared to host and co-organize the teleconference on the Greek 
side with the Balkan Environment Center, and would appreciate 
Embassy Tel Aviv's advice and assistance, if necessary, on the 
participation of the Galilee Society scientists in the 
teleconference.  The goal of the teleconference would be to 
explore areas for practical cooperation and plan next steps, 
including a working visit to the Balkan Center.  The Balkan 
Center receives EU and Greek government funding and believes 
there are opportunities for attracting EU financial support for 
Balkan - Eastern Med cooperation.  END SUMMARY 
 
¶2. During an October 10, 2008 visit to Thessaloniki by EUR DAS 
Graffey, the Thessaloniki-based NGO Balkan Environment Center 
agreed to work with the USG to develop projects that promote 
scientific and practical cooperation on environmental issues 
with counterparts facing similar challenges in southeast Europe 
and the Eastern Mediterranean.   As follow up, Post is working 
with the Balkan Environment Center on projects in northern 
Greece and neighboring countries facing similar environmental 
challenges.  Post has also developed with the Center's director, 
Aristotle University professor George Zalidis, and University of 
South Florida scientist Tom Crisman a proposal for reaching out 
to potential partners in the Eastern Med, specifically Israel. 
In December 2008, the Center's director, Aristotle University 
professor George Zalidis, attended a workshop on water re-use 
organized by the U.S.-Israel Binational Science Foundation 
(BSF).  Based on the workshop and discussions on the margins, 
Crisman (who is a member of the BSF) and Zalidis believe Israel 
and Greece share a number of environmental challenges and have 
the potential to become regional hubs for the exchange of 
information, best practices and commercial solutions. 
 
Proposed Balkan - Eastern Mediterranean Linkage and Network 
 
¶3.  Zalidis and Crisman are willing to help develop linkages 
between the Balkan Center and scientists they met at the 
workshop from the Galilee Society, which, according to its 
website is "the Arab National Society for Health Research and 
Services [which] strives to achieve equitable health, 
environmental and socio-economic conditions for Palestinian 
Arabs in Israel" based in Shefa-Amr, northern Israel.   The 
Society focuses on community/municipality engagement, water 
management and product development.  Zalidis and Crisman believe 
there is a natural affinity between the Galilee Society and the 
Balkan Center that could be developed to promote water 
management best practices, technology transfer and product 
development in the Balkans and Eastern Med.  They envision the 
Balkan Center continuing to foster cooperation among 
environmental NGOs and municipalities throughout the Balkans, 
and the Galilee Society doing the same with Arab municipalities 
and organizations within Israel and neighboring Arab states. 
Together, the two organizations would build a broad Eastern 
Mediterranean Network to coordinate programs.  Crisman and his 
colleagues at the University of South Florida are willing to 
play an advisory role.  According to Zalidis, whose Balkan 
Center receives support from the Greek government and European 
Union, a significant amount of EU funding is available for the 
promotion of regional cooperation on water management and other 
environmental issues.   They are not seeking USG funding for 
this initiative. 
 
Earth Day Three-way Video Teleconference - April 22 
 
¶4.  As a next step, ConGen Thess would like to organize a 
three-way digital video conference call between scientists from 
the Balkan Environment Center, Galilee Society and the 
University of South Florida on April 22, Earth Day, on possible 
cooperation in the area of water management.  The purpose would 
be to help establish a working relationship and identify topics 
of mutual interest. Likely areas of interest are water 
management and re-use, designing with nature for waste 
treatment, research and business development potential around 
ongoing work at both centers on use of organic wastes from olive 
oil processing as a biofuel, and the general topic of engaging 
local communities and municipalities in the organizations' 
projects/activities.  According to Zalidis and Crisman, the 
latter topic is especially promising as both the Balkan Center 
and Galilee Society are committed to a bottom-up approach to 
problem identification, solution and policy development, and 
have formally engaged local municipalities as part of their 
administrative structure to ensure this.  They believe that this 
 
THESSALONI 00000017  002 OF 002 
 
 
could be a model throughout the Balkans and the Middle East. The 
expected outcomes from this phone conference are agreement on 
working cooperatively and a general approach for the next step 
in the process, a workshop at either the Balkan Center or 
Galilee Society around a key interest area for joint research. 
 
World Environment Day Workshop - 5 June 
 
¶5.  If the April 22 DVC is successful, the next step would be a 
workshop that would focus on one or two research topics that 
appear to be "low hanging fruit" likely leading to immediate 
funding opportunities.  It is expected that the workshop would 
lead to near-term proposals for submission to the EU and other 
clearly identified funding sources.  Fleshing out proposals 
would be a main goal of the workshop. In addition, if funding 
(from EU or Greek Government sources) permits, the workshop 
could also bring together representatives from 
communities/municipalities from Greece and Israel to establish 
linkages and exchange experiences.  This section of the workshop 
could be opened to a broader audience, in part to show how this 
kind of activity can lead to problem identification, solution 
and dissemination of ideas through the two scientific 
organizations and the proposed Eastern Med network. 
 
¶6.  Post apologizes for the short notice, but would be grateful 
for feedback from Embassy Tel Aviv on the feasibility of this 
proposal.  If Tel Aviv agrees, we would also welcome the 
Embassy's hosting of the DVC from Israel, if the Galilee Society 
does not have its own DVC equipment.  OES/STC and OES/ENV have 
reviewed and cleared this proposal.  Thessaloniki point of 
contact is George Pelargidis, pelargidisg@state.gov 
YEE