The Second Advisory Board meeting of the UNIDO Project to enhance the industrial integration of EurAsEC countries

February 02, 2011

The Second Advisory Board meeting of the UNIDO Project to enhance the industrial integration of EurAsEC countries was held in the Secretariat of EurAsEC Integration Committee on the 26 ^th of January 2011. The meeting was focused on discussion of the progress made in project implementation, consideration of the planned programme of implementation in 2011, coordination of the efforts of all stakeholders and joint formulation of recommendations on further project implementation.

The event was attended by representatives of the Secretariat of UNIDO, the Secretariat of EurAsEC Integration Committee, CIS Executive Committee, the Ambassadors and Permanent Representatives of EurAsEC countries, the Eurasian Development Bank, the Eurasian Business Council, EurAsEC Center of High Technologies, as well as UNIDO experts, including the experts of the UNIDO Center for International Industrial Cooperation.

Yuri Akhvlediani, Deputy Director of the Bureau for Programme Design and Development and Project Manager of the UNIDO/EurAsEC initiative, presented in details the implementation of the project, in particular the conducted by UNIDO extensive analytical work on the status and prospects of industrial cooperation between EurAsEC countries. Rapid assessment preliminary results reveal an apparent tendency of the overwhelming majority of EurAsEC external economic activity participants to further development of modern interstate cooperative and contractual relations for enterprises, science, technical and financial institutes and agencies, as well as for national and business associations.

According to these results the project management proposed a renewed strategy of project further implementation providing concentration of EurAsEC countries efforts on two main thematic areas: promotion of innovative technology alliances, technology parks and business incubators, situated in the European Union and EurAsEC countries, and accelerated implementation of the work programme concerning the establishment of EurAsEC subcontracting and industrial cooperation network. Other priority areas for 2011 include the development of modernization specific models of industrial enterprises in energy efficiency and waste management fields, as well as industrial cooperation. This work encompasses an active information exchange between EurAsEC Center of High Technologies and UNIDO centers with a view to establishing a coordinating unit.

A lively and intensive discussion of the meeting participants showed a vivid interest of EurAsEC units and agencies, as well as affiliated organizations participating in the UNIDO project, the goals and objectives of which completely coincide with the main integration programmes Of EurAsEC.

The speakers emphasized that UNIDO activity in the framework of the project is another important instrument of the Community, which allows to accelerate the integration process. A number of Permanent Representatives of EurAsEC countries put forward a proposal to discuss additional measures to reinforce cooperation on the forthcoming session of EurAsEC Council of Ministers of Economy and Finance.

The outcome of the meeting and formulated recommendations on the project will be reflected in the report, which will be disseminated among the members of the Advisory Board, as well as the heads of departments and institutions of the member countries cooperating with UNIDO in the framework of the project.