The Green East-West Dialogue

Statement of the Fifth Green East-West Dialogue Meeting of the Black Sea Greens, 21st-24th of March 2002. Odessa, Ukraine

1. Make the Black Sea region a zone of stability and peace

In a world marked by new instability as shown by the terrorist attacks on the USA the parliamentarians and representatives of the Green Parties of the Black Sea gathered at the 5th Green East-West Dialogue of the Black Sea Greens call for further measures to enhance the stability and peace in the Black Sea region. We address our demands to international organisations as well as to our governments.

We do not foresee immediate new external threats to peace, security and stability in the region but want to ask more attention to the need to strengthen the internal stability of the Black Sea states and the region as a whole

The Black Sea region in the last decade witnesses various stages of development and their movement towards democracy and market economies is unequal. In some cases social political cohesion is at risk. New energy is needed to go forward to build the new public institutions that will have the confidence of the people.

New non traditional security risks are present such as illegal immigration, forced migrants, organised crime, corruption, trade in human beings and terrorism, the security of the Bosphorus, the ecological problems of Black Sea and Danube and the floods in several countries around the Black Sea.

The Black Sea witnesses several armed conflicts such as Armenia and Azerbaijan on the problems of Nagorno-Karabach, in Georgia (Abchazia and Ossetia), in Moldova (Transnistria) and in Russia (Chechnya). It is our opinion that these conflicts now already for far too many years add to great instability.

The Black Sea Greens call for new initiatives to come to democratic and peaceful solutions. The Black Sea region as well as the whole world cannot permit themselves to let these conflicts being unresolved.

In the Black Sea Region there are many initiatives for co-operation and dialogue. These initiatives are of great value and add to more understanding and give a basis for stability in the region. As Black Sea Greens however we are of the opinion that new impulses are needed.

We call for (new) pan-European security structures that comprise West and East, South and North European and of which the Black Sea Area should be an integral part.

At the background of many armed conflicts in the world one can find the interests in energy production and transport (gas, oil). Nuclear power plants (next to be a danger in itself) can be military and terrorist targets. Also for this reason the greens put new emphasis on the need to leave the use of fossil fuels behind us and to strengthen the promising starts of energy production based on renewable energy (sun, wind).

As Greens it is our long term goal to proclaim the Black Sea region a zone free from nuclear weapons and to come to a step-by-step demilitarisation, an aim that reached would be of global importance

2. Make the Black Sea clean

Once more it is needed to state that the condition of the Black Sea is critical, due to human activity that has led to the destruction of biological resources. A change of the current pattern is needed to come to a new balance of environment and the economical activities. This aim we consider possible and realistic.

Priority should be given to the following tasks:

• to ensure the maximum decrease of the pollution of the Black Sea and its rivers through the introduction and use of cleaning technologies, closing down or transferring ecologically adverse industries present now in the basins of the Black Sea and its rivers to more safe places as well as transfer to more sustainable economical practices.
• Qualitative improvement of the environment monitoring on national and international level, harmonising and unification of monitoring and solving of Black Sea environmental problems including the adoption and adaptation of the relevant legislation identification of the tourism and recreation industry as main priority for the economic use of the Black Sea region, effective use of positive experiences concerning the rehabilitation of the Baltic Sea area in such a way that a positive co-existence of man and sea may be reached
• Support of the efforts of international environmental organisations, financial agencies, regional NGO's and NGO's that aim to stimulated, develop and support local civil and business initiatives that direct themselves on nature restoration and protection of the Black Sea region, introduction of and ensuring longevity of sustainable development practices
• Ensuring the realisation of the Strategic Action Plan on the Black Sea, the national programs and its realisation

The Black Sea Greens while appreciating and supporting the current efforts are however of the opinion that the involvement and commitments of the European Union and its member states should become more intense and should have a higher priority on the agenda. At the moment there are three Black Sea countries that have the applicant status to the European Union. In the foreseeable future the European Union as such is direct and concretely involved.

3. Strengthen the Black Sea Greens

An overview was made of the current political, organisational and electoral situation of the Greens around the Black Sea. Note was taken of the letter of the Bulgarian Greens in which they expressed their regret not to be able to attend this meeting. With special interest the 5th Meeting took note of the founding of a Green Initiative for the Green Party in Turkey with as its spokesperson, Bilge Conteppe. It was advised to research the possibilities for a more thorough discussion on the Black Sea and the Baltic Sea area could be organised during the EFGP Congress in Berlin, Germany in May 2002.

The representatives of the Green Parties of the Black Sea expressed their satisfaction on the fulfilment of the decision of the fourth meeting of the Black Sea Greens in Bucharest and Constanza, Romenia concerning the establishment of the GEWD- Black Sea Liaison Office, hosted by the Green Party of the Ukraine. This first step in better co-ordination and communication was appreciated strongly. In common with the representatives present the Steering Group of the Green East-West Dialogue was asked to evaluate its work and to see what measures can be taken to reach a higher level of organisation and communication. It was advised to consider a further and more elaborate use of web-sites. The Steering Group of the Green East-West Dialouge will consider the offers to host a next meeting of the GEWD and will decide upon it after communication the participating parties.

Furthermore the planned activities of the GEWD were confirmed for the Working Visit to Georgia (date to be decided) and GEWD seminars in Moscow and St. Petersburg (date to be decided).

The participants of the Fifth GEWD meeting of the Black Sea Greens

Green Party of the Ukraine, Georgian Greens, Green Initiative for the Green Party in Turkey, Ecological Federation of Romania, Ecological Party of Moldova.