Organization of Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC)

Black Sea Economic Cooperation – BSEC

The Black Sea Economic Cooperation Organization was established on June 25, 1992, in Istanbul, with the signing of the Declaration of the Summit of the Heads of States and Governments of the 11 founding countries, which are: Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Georgia, Greece, Moldova, Romania, Russia, Turkey, Ukraine.

Albania is a co-founding member of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation Organization (BEDZ/BSEC).

Currently, Serbia has been added to the member countries of this organization, bringing the participation in this organization to 12 member countries.

In addition to the 12 member countries, thirteen other countries, such as the USA, France, Italy, Germany, Austria, Poland, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Belarus, Croatia, Tunisia, Egypt and Israel, belong to the Organization with observer status.

The organization has an economic profile and its fields of action are focused on:

• Transport and communication infrastructure
• Exchange of economic-commercial information
• Standardization/certification of products
• Power
• Tourism
• Agriculture/agroindustry
• Science and technology (etc.)

In order to achieve the most efficient cooperation between the member countries and to cover the activities in the main fields, the Organization has created several organisms (related bodies) such as:

• Parliamentary Dimension of BEDZ – PABSEC, based in Ankara
• Parliamentary Assembly of BEDZ – BSEC, based in Istanbul
• BEDZ Business Council, based in Istanbul
• International Center for Black Sea Studies, based in Athens
• Black Sea Trade and Development Bank, based in Thessaloniki

In order to coordinate the work of these bodies, the Permanent Secretariat of BEDZ (PERMIS) has been set up, based in Istanbul, in the direction of which the member countries are given the opportunity to participate based on the principle of rotation.

Albania is an active participant in this organization, contributing with its positions in the issues that are dealt with in the organization and especially in the framework of the discussions for the continuous reformation of the organization, for BEDZ-EU cooperation, for organizational and structural changes, etc. Albania held the next presidency of the Organization in the period May-October 2008.

For more information click on: http://www.bsec-organization.org