Black Sea co-operation organization, OSCE, to strengthen joint work

Ambassador Leonidas Chrysanthopoulos, Secretary General of the Organization of the Black Sea Economic Co-operation Permanent International Secretariat, told the OSCE Permanent Council on 14 July 2011 that his organization hoped to enhance its co-operation with the OSCE in the field of economic and environmental security.

The 12-country Organization of the Black Sea Economic Co-operation is a multilateral political and economic initiative aimed at fostering interaction and harmony among its member states, as well as to ensure peace, stability and prosperity encouraging friendly and good-neighbourly relations in the Black Sea region. Its member countries are also OSCE participating States.

Chrysanthopoulos highlighted that the two Organizations co-operate by exchanging information and taking part and contributing to events, notably in the area of economic and environmental issues and in broader security threats.  He added that his Organization would work to strengthen this co-operation.

The Black Sea region is facing new threats, including "poverty, contagious diseases such as HIV/AIDS, environmental degradation, climate change, internal violence and conflicts, terrorism, transnational organized crime, human trafficking, corruption and the proliferation of nuclear and chemical weapons", he said, adding that the his Organization worked to counter these threats.