HEAVEN ON EARTH CALLED MONTENEGRO No. 8, 2014 Oil Rush and Destiny of the Caspian YEARSЛЕТ Alla Yazkova: Wider Black Sea Region The Black Sea – Caspian Sea and Challenges International Fund of Our Times NEW SILK ROAD: IT’S POSSIBLE! 5Messages from BSCSIF founders Ukraine Georgia Turkey Romania Republic of Moldova Azerbaijan Kyrgyzstan Kazakhstan EDITORIAL BSCSIFCHRONICLE PHOTO: АrCHIVE YEARS Vyacheslav SAMOSHKIN, Editor in Chief of “Dialogue of the Seas” magazine BSCSIF New Silk Road: it’s possible! Major The idea to restore the historical Silk Road, even the way it is currently called, which implies for transportation of energy resources from Central Asia and Cas- 5 pian Sea to Europe, might have seemed at first too bold and fantastic. But in 1998, events in Baku, at the Conference of Presidents of many countries, the idea was launched, ■ MARCH 4, BUCHAREST. Founding of the International Fund for Cooperation and Partnership of the and time has proven its viability. One of its real incarnations was the establish- Black Sea and the Caspian Sea. Founders - representatives of eight countries in the region together with the Romanian President Traian Basescu. On the photo left to right: Vadim Kolesnichenko (Ukraine), ment, 11 years after, of the International Black Sea-Caspian Sea Fund. Its founders of the Tamaz Beradze (Georgia), Akkan Suver (Turkey), Iulian Fota (Romania), President Traian Basescu, have foremost stressed on the humanitarian side of the issue. After all, the Great Lidia Romanciuc (Republic of Moldova ), Eldar Hasanov (Azerbaijan), Zhildyz Oskonbaeva (Kyrgyzstan) Silk Road is a sort of bridge that brought together countries and peoples and facili- and Dossym SULEYEV (Kazakhstan). First elected president of the Fund – Iulian Fota (Romania). tated the exchange of cultural and spiritual values. Especially since after the col- Fund 2009 The same year Bulgaria, Russia and Serbia join the countries mentioned above. lapse of the USSR eight new sovereign states emerged here. This is how the idea of dialogue, promotion of peace, harmony and tolerance in this yet troubled region Tbecame naturally the one guiding the activity of the Fund. The years that passed have shown that it grew not only quantitatively, due to add- INTERVIEW ing to its ranks more new countries, but also because this quantity turned gradual- ly into quality. Today, the Fund is well known in the European Union and the Or- ganization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation, it received special consultative status within the UN Economic and Social Council, it has a strategic partnership Results over five years with the European Policy Centre, on its initiative and through its participation in Istanbul there has been established and already started to work the International Centre for support and coordination of economic cooperation. Because of the role are impressive that BSCSIF started playing in this region, it naturally enhanced collaboration with the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, BSCSIF Secretary General and Vice-President Eldar Hasanov and its ideas are unanimous with Eurasian cooperation idea promoted by Russia, Kazakhstan, Belarus... answers the questions of the Dialogue of the Seas Magazine OPENING REMARKS OPENING To “Dialogue of the Seas” magazine all of this makes easier its mission to promote the image of the International Fund of the Black and Caspian seas and the noble Solid bridge between Black Sea and the Caspian Sea were garding the establishment of the organ- goals and objectives pursued by it, because the activity and accomplishments of the people and countries the president of Azerbaijan Ilham ization and regarding its statute lasted Fund speak for themselves. In the magazine we familiarize our readers with the On the occasion of the 5th anni- Aliyev and the president of Romania for almost half a year. After that, on countries of the region and their cultural richness. Here articles were written by such versary of the International Fund Traian Basescu. This initiative was also March 4, 2009 BSCSIF was inaugurat- prominent figures as academicians Gheorghe Duca, Mircea Malita, Razvan Teodo- for Cooperation and Partnership of sustained by well-known broadminded ed in Bucharest as a non-governmental rescu, poet and diplomat Olzhas Suleimenov, political scientists Alexander Dugin, the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea scientific and political figures, promi- international organization. Ognyan Minchev, Corneliu Vlad, Leyla Aliyeva, Deputy Secretary General of BSEC (BSCSIF) it feels like recalling again nent intellectuals from eight countries In times when, due to political orienta- Traian Chebeleu, program director at Harvard University Sergey Konoplyov… On the reasoning that guided its found- - Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, tions and differences, governments and our columns we held round tables attended by major specialists from the countries ers in March 2009 to establish this Kyrgyzstan, Republic of Moldova, countries are at odds and cannot reach of the region on issues of civil society shaping, preservation of cultural heritage, res- unique organization… Romania, Turkey and Ukraine. These an agreement, things must be done cue of Black and Caspian seas, we analysed the obstacles to a more intense economic The ones who came up with the initia- countries became the founders of the in a manner that people don’t suffer. cooperation in the Black Sea – Caspian Sea – Mediterranean Sea basin… tive to create the International Fund Fund. I would also like to note that Namely with this purpose was created Our Fund has been repeatedly compared to a ship sailing the open sea. For this for Cooperation and Partnership of the barely the coordination of issues re- the Fund. It works as a solid bridge INTERVIEW reason, on its 5th anniversary, we wish to say: fair water and smooth sailing! 2 3 CONTENTS BSCSIFCHRONICLE YEARS EDITORIAL New Silk Road: it’s possible! / 2 BSCSIF 2010 BSCSIFchronicle Fund major event chronicle / 2 No. 8, 2013 2010 Eldar Hasanov: ____________________________________________________________ 5 EDITORIAL BOARD Results are impressive / 2 Mahir N.Quarayev, Azerbaijan The founders of the Fund speak Murat Auezov, Kazakhstan / 9 Bayan Sarigulov, Kyrgyzstan Unite the region through projects / 13 Ion Hadârcă, Republic of Moldova Mikhail Sinelnikov, Russia Meetings by the sea / 15 Corneliu Vlad, Deputy Editor, Romania Çağrı Erhan, Prof. Dr., Turkey ■ At the central BSCSIF THEcoUNTRIES OF THE REGION office in Bucharest In this section we present to our readers another Editor-in-Chief: Vyacheslav Samoshkin a team of young English version: experts was selected country, member of the Black Sea - Caspian Sea and began its work. Janna Donica and Olga Condratiuc For five years, the Fund has International Fund Art Director: Dan Mihalache completed more than 40 projects, including ____________________________________________________________ some through the European Union. Natalia MONTENEGRO The Magazine is being published Ciobanu - the first project coordinator (left). by the International Fund For Cooperation Heaven on Earth called Montenegro / 20 and Partnership of the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea ■ Decision to publish NEWSFrom THE REGION / 24 Dialogue of the Seas President: Ismail Safi IDEASAND PEOPLE Secretary General and Vice-President: magazine – in Russian and Eldar Hasanov ■ APRIL. Participation of the Fund in the 5th World Water Forum in English, in an edition Wider Black Sea area: Vice-President: Istanbul and the annual Eurasian Economic Summit – the same place. challenges of history and modernity / Gabriel Comănescu (Romania) From that moment BSCSIF participates at the summit every year. of 1500 copies. 25 Executive Director: Alev Balgi 2009 ECOLOGY Adviser to Secretary General: Janna Donică Oil rush and destiny of the Caspian / 28 Projects Coordinator, Adviser to Secretary General: Julia Akhunova INTERVIEW cates in various fields. logue between civilizations. SHAPINGCIVIL SOCIETY Coordinator of the Center for Strategic Continued from page 3 Internationally active and outside poli- Qualitative expansion Research of the Black Sea-Caspian Sea The geography of the countries Deed of humanity tics, the Fund encourages commercial / 35 Region: Valentina Albu between nations and peoples, having activity and plays an important role in whose representatives have become Adviser for Economic as strategic objective the protection the region and the world as a binding members in the Fund is constantly GALLERY Cooperation: Orhan Mammadov and reinforcement of such​​ human val- factor that contributes to the intensi- growing. How do you relate to the The path of realism in Bulgaria Project Manager: Luiza Niţă / 38 ____________________________________________________________ ues as peace, dialogue, mutual under- fication of the scientific, cultural, eco- major achievements of the organi- ISSN 2069 – 766X; ISSN-L = 2069 – 766X standing and development of relations nomic and social cooperation, as well zation over the past five years? What PROJECTS,projecTS Printed at Tipografia Everest, Bucharest between people based on common as to the strengthening of diplomatic is its strategy for the coming years? In pursuit of high technology / 40 historical roots, fostering civil society relations between the countries repre- What could you say about the cur- development on Eurasian space. sented in the Fund. rent image of the Fund? OH,SPORT, yoU ARE peace! ... Thus, the primary grounds to establish In conformity with