Europe: an extraordinary laboratory for
innovation
in international relations
CEI Foreign Ministers Meeting, 24-26 June 2002
"This is an exciting time for the Central European Initiative (CEI)
region"1 stressed Mr. Paolo Garonna, Deputy Executive Secretary
of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), who participated
at the CEI Ministerial meeting in Ohrid, The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.
"Europe has become an extraordinary laboratory for innovation in international
relations with a multiplication of structured cross-national linkages and
the emergence of new cooperation initiatives".
The region is witnessing not only the process of enlargement of the European
Union, but also other processes, such as the Stabilization and Association
process, the Partnership for Peace and the enlargement of NATO, the South
Eastern Europe Cooperation Process (SEECP), the Stability Pact, the Black
Sea Economic Cooperation (BISEC), and the newly formed Danube Cooperation
Process. Participants at the meeting recognized that the challenge for the
future is to ensure the convergence and synergy among all those processes,
avoid duplication and prevent the emergence of "new barriers".
All sub-regional integration processes are to contribute to pan-European
integration, global peace and prosperity. This objective figures prominently
in the objectives set by Ministers in the final document of the Ohrid meeting,
and inspires the ambitious programme of activities of the CEI. UNECE brought
strong support and encouragement towards the achievement of this goal. Being
the pan-European regional arm of the United Nations, the UNECE has as its
core mission to bring the UN values and principles to all regional and sub-regional
initiatives, i.e. the principles of universalism, non-discrimination, equal
dignity of all nations - large and small -, and fundamental human rights and
freedoms for all.
"There are two fundamental criteria to ensure success in sub-regional
and pan-European integration, said Mr. Garonna in his intervention. First,
that political relations lead to concrete economic outcomes. And second, that
intergovernmental relations translate themselves into inter-national partnerships,
i.e. relations among nations and peoples, not only governments, bringing together
civil societies, the business world, local communities and citizens".
The first basic condition has come to the fore in the phase of reconstruction
of South Eastern Europe: there can be no lasting peace, no sustainable security
and integration, without economic development and increasing prosperity. As
a matter of fact, after many years, the Ohrid meeting has been the first CEI
Foreign Ministers gathering which has taken place when there was no active
conflict in the region. Furthermore, as stated in the latest issue of the
UNECE Economic Survey of Europe of June 2002, a rate of growth of 4%
is forecast for 2002 in the central and eastern European transition economies,
with peaks of 7% in Albania and Kazakhstan, 4.3% in Russia, 4% in Yugoslavia
and The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.
The basic relationship between peace and development points towards the need
for economic reforms, structural adjustment, fiscal consolidation and sound
macro-economic management. There have been many success stories in the CEI
and UNECE region: countries can learn from each other and exchange best practice.
The excellent cooperation between CEI and UNECE in this framework has been
pushing in the direction of result-oriented economic cooperation by focusing
on investment promotion, support to small firms, standards for trade facilitation
and cross-borders arrangements, microfinancing and wholesale markets reform.
As far as the second condition is concerned, the UNECE contribution has aimed
at stimulating the involvement of the private sector in the various activities
undertaken in cooperation between the two organizations, and the promotion
of public-private partnerships for infrastructure development, reconstruction
and entrepreneurship.
"The UNECE is fully committed -- concluded Mr. Garonna -- to continue
contributing to the success of the CEI and the preparation for the CEI Summit
Economic Forum in Skopje next November".
_________
1 Member countries of the Central European Initiative (CEI) are:
Albania, Austria, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech
Republic, Hungary, Italy, Poland, Republic of Moldova, Romania, Slovak Republic,
Slovenia, The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Ukraine, and Yugoslavia.
***
For further information please contact:
Mr. Gianluca Sambucini
Focal Point for CEI Projects
Coordinating Unit for Operational Activities
United Nations Economic Commission for Europe
Palais des Nations, Office 434
CH - 1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland
Phone: +41(0)22 917 11 75
Fax: +41(0)22 917 01 78
E-mail: [email protected]
Ref: ECE/OPA/02/11