U.S. PLANS SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTION TO NEW BLACK SEA FUND

PanARMENIAN.Net
14.06.2006 18:36 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The United States plans to make a substantial
contribution to the Black Sea Trust, a new multimillion-dollar fund
promoting democracy and cooperation among nine countries in southeast
Europe, President Bush’s deputy national security adviser says. The
trust will provide grants to focus on enhancing economic and security
cooperation, crisis management and democracy in Armenia, Azerbaijan,
Bulgaria, Georgia, Moldova, Romania, Russia, Turkey and Ukraine.

In remarks at the Black Sea Forum June 5 in Bucharest, Romania,
Deputy National Security Advisor J. D. Crouch said the United States
would participate in and make a significant financial contribution
to the trust in partnership with the German Marshall Fund, the
Romanian government and other donors. Crouch said the United States is
supporting other initiatives such as the Black Sea Economic Cooperation
initiative and the Southeast European Cooperative Initiative. "We want
to hear your ideas on how to cooperate more effectively to address
a broader range of issues," Crouch added.

The German Marshall Fund (GMF) of the United States announced
the creation of the trust on June 5 during the Black Sea Forum in
Bucharest, Romania. The GMF said it anticipates launching operations
of the Black Sea Trust in the fall, with initial contributions
of more than $20 million, climbing to more than $40 million as the
trust matures. Contributors include the U.S. Agency for International
Development (USAID), the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, the Romanian
government and other private and public donors from the United States
and Europe.