No Russian Officials At Black Sea Summit

BUCHAREST, Jun 4

The summit to launch the Black Sea Forum for Dialog and Partnership
Monday will be attended by the presidents of Romania, Ukraine,
Armenia, Azerbaijan and the Republic of Moldova and officials from
Lithuania, Turkey, Bulgaria and international organizations, but no
Russian officials.

The Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a press release Sunday
containing a complete list of Summit participants. The list includes
no Russian officials.

Invited by Romanian president Traian Basescu, presidents of countries
from the Black Sea area or their representatives will attend the
summit: Robert Kocharian, president of Armenia; Ilham Aliyev,
president of Azerbaijan; Mikhail Saakashvili, president of Georgia;
Vladimir Voronin, president of the Republic of Moldova, and Viktor
Yushchenko, president of Ukraine.

The list also includes Ivailo Kalfin – deputy prime minister and
foreign affairs minister in Bulgaria, Dr. Besir Atalay – state
minister inTurkey, and Vironas Polydoras – public order minister in
Greece.

Among members of European and Euro-Atlantic communities and
international organizations to be present at the summit: Sergei
Ordzhonikidze, director-general of the UN Office in Geneva; Terry
Davis, secretary general of the Council of Europe; Marc Perrin de
Brichambaut, secretary general with OSCE; Brunson McKinley,
director-general of the International Organization for Migration;
Erhard Busek, Special Coordinator of the Stability Pact for South
Eastern Europe; Marek Belka, Executive Secretary of the United Nations
Economic Commission for Europe; Robert Simmons, Special Representative
for the Caucasus and Central Asia; Peter Semneby, EU Special
Representative for the Caucasus and Central Asia.

This reunion is the first in a series of events meant to consolidate
the profile of the Black Sea area, to draw the international
community=80=99s attention to the importance of this region which
encompasses opportunities as well as challenges.

President Traian Basescu said on April 26, at the Forum of the
Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation, or BSEC, marking
the end of the Romanian presidency of the organization, which is to be
taken over by the Russian Federation, that discussions among Black Sea
area states related to sensitive issues such as security, the fight
against organized crime and terrorism, could take place outside of an
institutional framework.

He added at the time that Romania would be an active partner in
solving problems in the Black Sea area.

At the beginning of June, official sources said Russia should attend
the summit, at least on a diplomatic level.

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