Developing an Identity for the Black Sea as an Economic

RegionBarry Kolodkin, Regional Programme ManagerICBSS 5th International Black Sea Symposium

Athens, Greece5 July 2012

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Black Sea Trade & Investment Programme Implementer: UNDP Donors: Greece & Turkey Partners/Donors: BSEC & BSEC

Business Council Beneficiaries:

Enterprises Government agencies Business associations

Began in 2007; project office in Athens, Greece

Objective: To stimulate intra-regional trade and investment among BSEC countries

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Emphasize cross border economic activity

Business facilitation events

Training for business support organizations and investment promotion agencies

Business development assistance

Green business/sustainable development

Regional Focus

Sectors

PackagingFood products and wineTourism Construction materialsICT LogisticsRenewable energy

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WHY?

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REGIONAL IDENTITY = GREATER AWARENESS

Better awareness should lead to more foreign trade and investment, more tourism, and better economic cooperation among BSEC countries

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INCREASED COOPERATION= GREATER OPPORTUNITY

Market Access, Lower Cost of Trade, Higher Profitability, Regional Market Development – EU, NAFTA, APEC

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Regional Brand/Identity

MIDDLE EAST = OIL

PACIFIC RIM = TECHNOLOGY

INDIAN SUBCONTINENT = OUTSOURCING

BLACK SEA = ENERGY OR ??

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GDPMOLDOVA 7.0%TURKEY 6.6%GEORGIA 5.5%UKRAINE 4.7%ARMENIA 4.6%RUSSIA 4.3%BULGARIA 3.0%-- (2011) est. Global Finance

= POTENTIAL

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350 MILLION PEOPLE4 TRILLION USD GDP> ½ TRILLION USD IMPORTS

= A REAL MARKET

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www.undpforblacksea.org

ENERGY SOURCE? GATEWAY TO

MIDDLE EAST? ASIA? CRADLE OF

CIVILIZATION?

CORRUPTION? LOW INTENSITY

CONFLICT? OLD FASHIONED?

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…UNDEFINED

3 EU states2 Preaccession/accession states

6 CIS states3 CEFTA states

2 not WTO + Russian WTO ratification

= Difficult economic cooperation

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SOLUTION: Convergence not strict compliance to the Acquis and EU norms. Comprehensive, familiar, to all, attractive to EU nations, supports states with EU entry ambitions, standardization 12

COOPTITION is a phrase borrowed from the technology industry where competitive companies use common standards and realize that a certain amount of cooperation will benefit the market place overall.

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Supporting A Regional Identity

• Better transportation links• Full utilization of regional

funding• Regional stock exchange

• Green energy/economy development

• Expand tourism• Creating a brand

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www.undpforblacksea.org15

Brand Assets

ENIRADACIASTOLICHNAYABIT DEFENDERLUKOILNEMIROFFARCELIKBEKO

CAVIARSAPERAVIDRACULAKLITSCHKOBALCHIKMAMAIASOCHIODESSA

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SANTORINIBALTIKAVIOHALCOANTALYAINTRACOMEURO CUPTURK TELECOMBEELINE

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CREATE A VISION

A Vision for a Black Sea Identity

WORLD AWARENESS OF HIGH ECONOMIC GROWTHGOOD REGIONAL ECONOMIC COOPERATIONSTRONG REGIONAL TOURISMCOOPTITIONSTRONG BSEC AS A REGIONAL FORUM FOR PROJECTS AND IDEASIMAGE AS A PLACE OF OLD AND NEW, TRADITIONAL ENERGY AND GREEN ENERGYREGIONAL BRAND PROFESSIONALLY DEVELOPED

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