SECI CENTER OFFICIALS TRAVEL TO HQ OF ORGANIZATION

UNCLAS BUCHAREST 001129

SIPDIS

STATE DEPT FOR EUR/NCE - WILLIAM SILKWORTH
STATE DEPT ALSO FOR INL/AAE, EUR/ACE

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PGOV PARM RO SECI
SUBJECT: SECI CENTER OFFICIALS TRAVEL TO HQ OF ORGANIZATION
FOR BLACK SEA ECONOMIC COOPERATION (BSEC)

Summary
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1. On April 26-27 DoS Coordinator for SECI Center, RSO and
SECI Public Affairs Officer traveled to BSEC Secretariat in
Istanbul. This responds to a recent invitation extended by
the BSEC Secretary General and Executive Manager to discuss
the possible cooperation. During this meeting BSEC stated
that the main challenge for them in the Black Sea region is
organized crime. BSEC sees SECI as a model in meeting this
challenge and proposed the exploration in cooperation by the
two organizations. BSEC suggested entering into a MoU with
SECI for further cooperation. SECI agrees to this in
principal and Post hopes the Department can support the
proposal. End Summary.

BSEC Proposes Memorandum of Understanding
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2. In March 2005, BSEC officials traveled to Bucharest and
spoke to SECI officials in an effort to learn more about
SECI and how the process of sharing information that SECI
employs between countries facilitates the fight against
transborder crime. BSEC officials stated they were
interested in further contact with the SECI Center and
invited DoS Coordinator for SECI Center to visit BSEC and
continue the discussion of SECI/BSCE cooperation. In the
discussion on April 26 BSEC purposed that a Memorandum of
Understanding (MoU) between SECI and BSEC might be a
suitable mechanism to bring about a closer partnership.
This MoU, while falling short of an official relationship
between the two organizations, could bring about an informal
affiliation mutually beneficial to both.

More than Partnership, Less than Membership
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3. DoS SECI Coordinator and RSO thanked BSEC officials for
hosting the meeting and reaffirmed the desire of SECI Center
Acting Director and Joint Cooperation Committee (JCC)
Chairperson to explore a closer relationship. DoS SECI
Coordinator agreed with BSEC officials that a MoU or other
informal link would be the best option rather than looking
for a means of formal affiliation by both organizations.
This approach would look at challenges common to both
organizations, such as organized crime in general, and
trafficking and financial crime specifically, with an aim to
share a set of principles, values and standards which could
be employed to meet those challenges. In short, the idea
would be to share ideas, but not institutions. DoS
Coordinator pointed out that existing task forces at SECI
such as financial crime, anti-smuggling and anti-narcotics
could be building blocks in a process which would not
duplicate efforts, funding or strategy in fighting organized
crime. These building blocks could, in fact, be key
elements in looking at a wider strategy for the region such
as a common security space in which both SECI and BSEC would
employ mechanisms within their respective organizations to
carry out their mandates, while informing each other of
present and future actions. These measures, though not
formal in nature, could still serve to further the fight
against organized crime, which should assist the goal of
sustaining a safe and secure Black Sea region. (Comment:
JCC is the governing Board of SECI Center made up of elected
Chairperson, elected Deputy Chairperson and one
representative from each of the Twelve member states. End
Comment)

Comment
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4. In post's view, proposed shared actions and joint
cooperation between BSEC and SECI is worth pursuing. Both
organizations share common members, security challenges and
area of operations with the goal to address multilateral
risks by sharing strategies and limited resources to
confront transborder asymmetrical threats. Both SECI Acting
Director as well as the Chairperson of Joint Cooperation
Committee (JCC) agree that cooperation with other
international organizations in the region is critical in the
fight against one of the new security threats in the area,
organized crime. SECI Center will explore and pursue as
appropriate informal cooperation with BSEC. Post hopes the
Department can seek avenues for supporting SECI in this
effort.

DELARE