Turkey has assumed the Chairmanship-in-Office of the Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC) as of 1 May 2007, for a period of six months.

Turkey, which has played a leading role in the creation of the BSEC and which hosts its Permanent International Secretariat, believes that benefitting from the recent increase of international interest towards the Black Sea, a new vitality and momentum can be achieved within the framework of BSEC. We welcome the readiness and resolve demonstrated by the BSEC Member States to this end.

Turkey, which has completed the preparations for its term of Chairmanship, is of the opinion that defining areas of common interest for Member States on which the Organization can focus, and realizing concrete projects of regional impact that will provide tangible benefits to the Member States and their people, will contribute to the effectivess of the BSEC. The 15th Anniversary Summit of the BSEC which will be held in Istanbul on 25 June 2007, will hold an important place in giving the Organization a new direction and vitality. It is important that Member States are represented at the highest level in this Summit which will be organized under the theme “Setting Sail for New Horizons.”

Turkey envisages to give priority to cooperation in the areas of environment, transportation, energy, trade, telecommunications and combatting organized crime during its term of Chairmanship. The calendar of events which has been prepared to move ahead in these priority areas include various activities such as sectoral Ministerial meetings, working group meetings, experts meetings, training programmes, conferences and workshops.

Within this framework, meetings of the Ministers of Trade, Ministers of Transport and Ministers of Science and Technology will be organized on 1 June 2007, 5 July 2007 and 5 October 2007, respectively. Removing obstacles to trade will be the main theme of the BSEC Business Forum which will be held on 30-31 June 2007. The Energy Conference will take place on 26 June 2007.

Also, the First Black Sea Games will be organized on 2-8 July 2007 in the cities of Trabzon, Rize ve Giresun. In addition to these activities, it is envisaged that Turkey’s initiative to establish a BSEC Trade Center in Bursa will be finalized in the term of Turkey’s Chairmanship.

During its Chairmanship-in-Office and also in the future, Turkey will continue to increase its efforts to revatilize the BSEC, the only full-fledged organization in the region, which is celebrating its 15th anniversary. In its activities towards this end, Turkey counts on the active cooperation and contributions of the other BSEC Member States.