Догори

16

черв. 2014

Опубліковано в Публікації

The role of civil society organizations in the Euroregion Dnepr development. The ways of CBC activation in the Euroregion Dniester

The Euroregion Dnepr experience suggests that CBC is the most optimal way for bilateral and multilateral relations building with the regions of neighboring countries on the base of the European standards such as Euroregions formation.

It should be noted that the progress in CBC development between Ukraine and Belarus has been observed during recent years. It is connected with the civil society organizations (CSO) activity to a large extent which prepare and implement different projects using Eastern Partnership and European Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument (ENPI) programmes. Our civil society understands an impotant role of these programmes for intensification and efficiency increasing of cross-border format cooperation between neighboring countries.

In resent time a whole number of Ukrainian and Belarus NGOs has been started to use actively an opportunities of the International Visegrad Fund (IVF), which allow to implement projects aimed at interregional cooperation and territorial development activization.

For example, the project “The European experience of communication strategy development within the scope of Euroregions” is implemented at this point in time. It was prepared by common efforts of Chernihiv Regional State Administration and “Polissa Foundation for International and Regional Studies” specialists within the framework of the “Visegrad 4 Eastern Partnership” (V4EaP) program.

The ultimate aim of this project is creation of CBC or Coordination Center as an institutional base of the Border Community Euroregion Dnepr in Chernihiv region. Mentioned Center creation will allow to our Euroregion founders to activate work concerning our territories development substantially by force of structure formation which specializes in the questions of cross-border communication.

Moreover, in May this year with the support of the IVF again new cross-border project has been started. It was prepared by the Belarus organization “Gomel Regional Agency for Economic Development” and provides joining of Chernihiv, Gomel and Bryansk regions efforts for elaboration of the medium-term development strategy of the Euroregion Dnepr on basis of the Visegrad group countries’ experience.

The major aspect is that implementation of similar projects calls local authorities and CSO attantion to the necessity of common problems solving with the aim of improvement people life and common development of our regions. Besides such projects allow the representatives of interested organisations to meet regulary, to discuss the most actual issues, to generate new ideas and to search a new sourses of their finansing.

That’s why further development of the Euroregion Dniester will make it possible not only to raise the level of economic collaboration and contacts between local people of frontier regions but also to advance gradually to Transnistria problem solving in whole.

It’s well-known fact that Ukraine in the context of leading in OSCE strives for help in Transnistria problem solving. It should be mentioned that Ukraine is one of the most influential players in perpetual discussion as for Transnistria conflict settlement. Ukraine has a great potential to develop necessary premises to ensure a peaceful solution of a durable Transnistria conflict.

On many experts opinion Ukraine due to its geographical position is able to:

intensify control over Ukrainian-Moldavian border;

increase regional cooperation to maintain integration mechanisms such as Euroregion “Dniester” development;

support peacemaking mission reforms;

become a mediator in negotiations between Chisinau and leaders from Tiraspol.

Analysis of negotiation process state about Moldovan-Transnistria conflict settlement in the context of Ukraine participation in it during its leading in OSCE in 2013 affirms the serious obstructive levers presence which are connected with polarity approaches of Chisinau and Tiraspol towards existing problems. In spite of positions unanimity of all negotiation process participants concerning necessity to give an impulse to political negotiations in “5+2” format, it is noted that the parties are trying to act according to one’s interests achievement at the Ukrainian meditation as leading in OSCE in the current year. In 2012 the negotiations de facto were finished with the fixed position polarity as for fundamental approaches in the settlement. Chisinau stands here for the necessity to set off discussion about technical questions and transition to discussion about Transnistria political status parameter. In its turn Tiraspol denies such a possibility with the consent of Russia, laying the stress on the need to solve social-economical interaction questions. A huge position polarity was confirmed by the parties during the stay (visit) of the Acting Head of OSCE, Foreign Affairs Minister of Ukraine L.Kojara in Moldova and Transnistria (January, the 21-22nd, 2013). And it will probably determine the conflict parties positions further during leading of Ukraine in OSCE in 2013.

The important aspects of Ukrainian-Moldavian bilateral cooperation are also the use of Eastern Partnership Program that by-turn will lead to both countries position consolidation in Black Sea region and financing increase from EU in many spheres of cooperation.

It is important to continue the Ireland initiative in organizing civil society representatives congress from the both Dniester shores. It would be a logical continuation of the Irish initiative to conduct a meeting among the civil society leaders from the both Dniester shores at the Ukrainian territory, for example in Odessa. This idea would take a geographical situation into consideration and wouldn’t require serious financial expenses. 

Boris Uvarov