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U.S.DEPT OF STATE
12 Jun 2006
U.S. Plans "Significant" Contribution to New Black Sea Fund
Public-private grant-making trust will promote democracy, regional cooperation
By Vince Crawley
Washington File Staff Writer
Washington -- The United States plans to make a substantial
contribution to the Black Sea Trust, a new multimillion-dollar fund
promoting democracy and cooperation among nine countries in southeast
Europe, President Bush's deputy national security adviser says.
The trust will provide grants to focus on enhancing economic and
security cooperation, crisis management and democracy in Armenia,
Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Georgia, Moldova, Romania, Russia, Turkey
and Ukraine.
In remarks at the Black Sea Forum June 5 in Bucharest, Romania,
Deputy National Security Advisor J. D. Crouch said the United States
would participate in and make a significant financial contribution to
the trust in partnership with the German Marshall Fund, the Romanian
government and other donors.
Crouch said the United States is supporting other initiatives such
as the Black Sea Economic Cooperation initiative and the Southeast
European Cooperative Initiative. "We want to hear your ideas on how
to cooperate more effectively to address a broader range of issues,"
Crouch added.
"For centuries, these lands have been a cultural crossroads --
connecting Europe to the Middle East and Central Asia," Crouch
said. The flow of communication through the region was stifled during
the Cold War, he added, "but today your nations have a new opportunity
to build stronger links with each other -- and thereby reclaim your
historic position as a region of connections between East and West."
The German Marshall Fund (GMF) of the United States announced
the creation of the trust on June 5 during the Black Sea Forum in
Bucharest, Romania. The GMF said it anticipates launching operations
of the Black Sea Trust in the fall, with initial contributions
of more than $20 million, climbing to more than $40 million as the
trust matures. Contributors include the U.S. Agency for International
Development (USAID), the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, the Romanian
government and other private and public donors from the United States
and Europe.
The trust is expected to provide grants to local organizations --
including civic groups and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs),
local and regional governments, educational institutions and media,
according to a news release by the German Marshall Fund. Grants will
be awarded for civic-participation programs as well as projects that
promote cross-border cooperation in the region.
"Approximately $2 million in rolling grants will be given out each
year," said the GMF, which will staff the trust. "Individual grants
would range from $1,000 to $75,000 with an average size around $15,000
or $20,000, and will be approved monthly by a grant-making committee
that will include GMF representatives and one representative from
each of the donors to the Trust."
The German Marshall Fund is also in negotiations with the Romanian
government to base the trust's operations in Bucharest. (See related
article.) The U.S. State Department recently signed agreements with
Bulgaria and Romania to share military bases near the Black Sea
coast. (See related article.) The GMF, USAID, and the Mott Foundation
previously joined forces in 2003 to create the Balkan Trust for
Democracy, a $30 million fund that has given out millions in grant
money toward promoting regional cooperation and reconciliation,
civil society development, and democracy-building ideas and
institutions throughout the Balkans. The Balkan Trust for Democracy
"has successfully grown and added new partners after its founding,
a process the Black Sea Trust will emulate," the GMF said. (See
related article.) In March, the German Marshall Fund co-sponsored a
conference aimed at promoting cross-border cooperation, particularly
in disaster response planning, and some of the same countries attended
that were represented at the Black Sea Forum. (See related article.)
The U.S. Embassy in Bucharest has posted the full text of Crouch's
remarks on its Web site. The Black Sea Trust press release is posted
on the Web site of the German Marshall Fund of the United States.
The Southeastern Europe Cooperative Initiative (SECI) is a law
enforcement consortium that allows authorities to share intelligence
and coordinate activities in the pursuit of criminals across
jurisdictional lines.
Information on SECI's work against human trafficking is available in
a USINFO Electronic Journal article "European Alliance Combats Human
Trafficking" and the Web site of the SECI Center in Bucharest.
Additional information is available on the Web site of the Black Sea
Economic Cooperation, to which the United States was recently granted
observer status.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
12 Jun 2006
U.S. Plans "Significant" Contribution to New Black Sea Fund
Public-private grant-making trust will promote democracy, regional cooperation
By Vince Crawley
Washington File Staff Writer
Washington -- The United States plans to make a substantial
contribution to the Black Sea Trust, a new multimillion-dollar fund
promoting democracy and cooperation among nine countries in southeast
Europe, President Bush's deputy national security adviser says.
The trust will provide grants to focus on enhancing economic and
security cooperation, crisis management and democracy in Armenia,
Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Georgia, Moldova, Romania, Russia, Turkey
and Ukraine.
In remarks at the Black Sea Forum June 5 in Bucharest, Romania,
Deputy National Security Advisor J. D. Crouch said the United States
would participate in and make a significant financial contribution to
the trust in partnership with the German Marshall Fund, the Romanian
government and other donors.
Crouch said the United States is supporting other initiatives such
as the Black Sea Economic Cooperation initiative and the Southeast
European Cooperative Initiative. "We want to hear your ideas on how
to cooperate more effectively to address a broader range of issues,"
Crouch added.
"For centuries, these lands have been a cultural crossroads --
connecting Europe to the Middle East and Central Asia," Crouch
said. The flow of communication through the region was stifled during
the Cold War, he added, "but today your nations have a new opportunity
to build stronger links with each other -- and thereby reclaim your
historic position as a region of connections between East and West."
The German Marshall Fund (GMF) of the United States announced
the creation of the trust on June 5 during the Black Sea Forum in
Bucharest, Romania. The GMF said it anticipates launching operations
of the Black Sea Trust in the fall, with initial contributions
of more than $20 million, climbing to more than $40 million as the
trust matures. Contributors include the U.S. Agency for International
Development (USAID), the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, the Romanian
government and other private and public donors from the United States
and Europe.
The trust is expected to provide grants to local organizations --
including civic groups and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs),
local and regional governments, educational institutions and media,
according to a news release by the German Marshall Fund. Grants will
be awarded for civic-participation programs as well as projects that
promote cross-border cooperation in the region.
"Approximately $2 million in rolling grants will be given out each
year," said the GMF, which will staff the trust. "Individual grants
would range from $1,000 to $75,000 with an average size around $15,000
or $20,000, and will be approved monthly by a grant-making committee
that will include GMF representatives and one representative from
each of the donors to the Trust."
The German Marshall Fund is also in negotiations with the Romanian
government to base the trust's operations in Bucharest. (See related
article.) The U.S. State Department recently signed agreements with
Bulgaria and Romania to share military bases near the Black Sea
coast. (See related article.) The GMF, USAID, and the Mott Foundation
previously joined forces in 2003 to create the Balkan Trust for
Democracy, a $30 million fund that has given out millions in grant
money toward promoting regional cooperation and reconciliation,
civil society development, and democracy-building ideas and
institutions throughout the Balkans. The Balkan Trust for Democracy
"has successfully grown and added new partners after its founding,
a process the Black Sea Trust will emulate," the GMF said. (See
related article.) In March, the German Marshall Fund co-sponsored a
conference aimed at promoting cross-border cooperation, particularly
in disaster response planning, and some of the same countries attended
that were represented at the Black Sea Forum. (See related article.)
The U.S. Embassy in Bucharest has posted the full text of Crouch's
remarks on its Web site. The Black Sea Trust press release is posted
on the Web site of the German Marshall Fund of the United States.
The Southeastern Europe Cooperative Initiative (SECI) is a law
enforcement consortium that allows authorities to share intelligence
and coordinate activities in the pursuit of criminals across
jurisdictional lines.
Information on SECI's work against human trafficking is available in
a USINFO Electronic Journal article "European Alliance Combats Human
Trafficking" and the Web site of the SECI Center in Bucharest.
Additional information is available on the Web site of the Black Sea
Economic Cooperation, to which the United States was recently granted
observer status.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress