SLOVAK EXTERNAL DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE EFFORTS

UNCLAS BRATISLAVA 000616

SIPDIS


PARIS FOR USOECD BMCFEETERS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EAID PREL ECON LO
SUBJECT: SLOVAK EXTERNAL DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE EFFORTS



1. SUMMARY. THE SLOVAK MFA RECENTLY ESTABLISHED A FORMAL
INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM TO MANAGE EFFORTS THAT HAD
PREVIOUSLY BEEN CHARACTERIZED BY VOLUNTARY CONTRIBUTIONS TO
INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS. THE PROGRAM OF OFFICIAL DEVELOPMENT
ASSISTANCE (ODA) STARTED ADMINISTRATIVELY IN 2003, AND ACTUAL
ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS WILL COMMENCE THIS YEAR. DUE TO RELATIVELY
MODEST FUNDING, THE ODA WILL PARTNER WITH ESTABLISHED PROGRAMS OF
OTHER ORGANIZATIONS TO MINIMIZE ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES. IT HAS
A WELL-DEFINED LIST OF PRIORITIES AND 13 TARGET COUNTRIES FROM
EUROPE, AFRICA, AND ASIA IN WHICH IT WILL OPERATE. END SUMMARY.


2. IN ORDER TO MORE EFFECTIVELY MEET ITS MORAL RESPONSIBILITIES
AS AN OECD MEMBER AND BURGEONING PARTICIPANT IN EURO-ATLANTIC
STRUCTURES, THE GOS ESTABLISHED ITS ODA IN 2003 WITH A BUDGET OF
USD 4.2 MILLION. THIS BUDGET SHOULD GROW TO APPROXIMATELY USD
4.8 MILLION THIS YEAR IN ADDITION TO THE USD 9 TO 12 MILLION THE
GOS ANNUALLY GIVES FOR HUMANITARIAN PURPOSES. THE KEY DIFFERENCE
IS THAT THE ODA CREATES A MECHANISM FOR FORMAL PROGRAMS IN
TARGETED COUNTRIES. IT ALSO EMPHASIZES RELATIVE SLOVAK STRENGTHS
IN MANAGING DEVELOPMENT AND TRANSITION.


3. ZIGMUND BERTOK, DIRECTOR OF THE MFA'S DEPARTMENT OF
INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC COOPERATION, DISCUSSED DETAILS OF THE ODA
WITH ECONOFFS. HE AMBITIOUSLY CLAIMED THAT SLOVAKIA IS ON THE
PATH TO BECOMING ONE OF THE WORLD'S HIGHLY DEVELOPED COUNTRIES.
HE ADDED THAT, IN ADDITION TO THE GOS BEING KEENLY AWARE OF HOW
CAREFULLY THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY MONITORS PARTICIPATION IN
SUCH PROGRAMS, IT ALSO WANTED TO ALTRUISTICALLY HELP THE
DEVELOPING WORLD GROW ACCORDING TO ITS MEANS. WITH LIMITED
RESOURCES, HOWEVER, THE GOS DOES NOT WANT TO SEE ITS DONATIONS
DISPERSED SO WIDELY THAT EFFICIENCY IS SACRIFICED.


4. THEREFORE, THE ODA WILL FOCUS ITS EFFORTS ON 13 COUNTRIES
WITH TWO OR THREE OF THEM SELECTED AS "PROGRAM" COUNTRIES FOR
MORE COMPREHENSIVE DEVELOPMENT EFFORTS. THE 13 FUTURE RECIPIENT
COUNTRIES INCLUDE AFGHANISTAN, ALBANIA, BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA,
KAZAKHSTAN, KENYA, KYRGYZSTAN, MACEDONIA, MONGOLIA, MOZAMBIQUE,
SERBIA AND MONTENEGRO, SUDAN, TAJIKISTAN, AND UZBEKISTAN. THE GOS
SELECTED SERBIA AND MONTENEGRO AS THE INITIAL RECIPIENT OF
PROGRAM ASSISTANCE AND OTHER COUNTRIES WILL BE ADDED LATER.
ADDITIONALLY, SLOVAKIA HAS DESIGNATED IRAQ FOR IN-KIND ASSISTANCE
SUCH AS OFFERING A "MINISTERIAL ADVISOR" AND PARTICIPATING IN
TRAINING TO SHARE ITS OWN TRANSITION EXPERIENCES.


5. RECOGNIZING THAT IT WILL NOT BE A MAJOR DONOR IN QUANTITATIVE
TERMS, THE GOS HAS ESTABLISHED CLEAR GOALS TO ENSURE THE QUALITY
OF ITS PROGRAMS. THE GOS PLANS TO USE ITS EXPERIENCE IN THE
TRANSITION TO, AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF, DEMOCRATIC INSTITUTIONS
AND A MARKET ECONOMY (INCLUDING CHANGES IN OWNERSHIP STRUCTURE,
CREATING A BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT, AND REFORMS IN THE PUBLIC
SECTOR). THE SLOVAKS HAVE EXPERTISE IN DEVELOPING INFRASTRUCTURE
INCLUDING TRANSPORTATION, DEMINING WORKS, SEWAGE SYSTEMS, WATER
PURIFICATION AND TREATMENT, WASTE MANAGEMENT, DRINKING WATER
SYSTEMS, AND ENERGY PRODUCTION. THEY ARE ALSO WELL VERSED IN
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION, AGRICULTURE, FOOD SAFETY,
REFORESTATION, IRRIGATION SYSTEMS, AND AGRICULTURAL AND
GEOGRAPHIC RESEARCH. THE GOS SEEKS TO INCREASE THE INVOLVEMENT
OF SLOVAK EXPERTS IN INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATIONS, AND
HOPES DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE WILL INCREASE ECONOMIC TIES WITH
RECIPIENT COUNTRIES. FINALLY, THE GOS WANTS TO AID COUNTRIES
WHERE ETHNIC SLOVAKS RESIDE TO ENSURE THEIR EDUCATIONAL AND
SOCIAL BENEFITS. FOR EXAMPLE, SERBIA AND MONTENEGRO WAS CHOSEN
AS THE FIRST PROGRAM COUNTRY BECAUSE THERE ARE APPROXIMATELY
60,000 ETHNIC SLOVAKS LIVING IN THE REGION.


6. SLOVAKIA'S ODA WILL ACTIVELY SEEK TO COOPERATE WITH NGOS AND
OTHER DONORS - IN PARTICULAR THE CANADIAN INTERNATIONAL
DEVELOPMENT AGENCY AND THE UN DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM - TO TAKE
ADVANTAGE OF THEIR RESOURCES AND ACCESS TO FUNCTION MORE
EFFICIENTLY. THEREFORE, SLOVAKIA WILL HAVE RELATIVELY FEWER
PEOPLE ON THE GROUND WORKING IN RECIPIENT COUNTRIES, BUT ITS
CONTRIBUTIONS WILL STILL BE CONSIDERABLE. COMMENT: SLOVAKIA'S
EFFORTS IN DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE WILL COMPLEMENT ITS ALREADY
CONSIDERABLE CONTRIBUTIONS TO PEACEKEEPING FORCES THROUGHOUT THE
WORLD.
WEISER

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