Lt. Gen. Scowcroft sits with Georgian Prime Minister Gilauri and Turkish Prime Minister Erdoğan at the Forum Opening

Over three days in Istanbul, the 2010 Black Sea Energy and Economic Forum brought together government and business leaders from the region and the world to address the current and emerging issues including energy security, economic growth, and regional identity. Two heads of government, eight regional ministers, and over three hundred others from business, government, academia, media, and other sectors of society participated. In all, 19 countries were represented.

Turkish Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Yıldız addresses the Forum

The 2010 Forum opened with remarks from Turkish Prime Minister Erdoğanand Georgian Prime Minister Gilauri, followed by a chief executive roundtable in which the Forum co-chairs discussed Eurasia’s regional opportunities and challenges. The welcoming dinner that evening featured a discussion with Paolo Scaroni, Chief Executive Officer of Eni and Ali Babaçan, the Turkish Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Finance and Economy.

US Special Envoy, Eurasian Energy Morningstar

The first full day of the Forum featured keynote remarks from Turkish Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Taner Yıldız and Special Envoy of the US Secretary of State for Eurasian Energy, Richard Morningstar, as well as discussions on Eurasia’s energy future, relationships within the region and with the world, finance and trade, and new sources of growth and prosperity, among others.

Dr. Brzezinski, Lt. Gen. Scowcroft, & Frederick Kempe

A highlight of the 2010 Forum was a dinner in the Topkapı Palace gardens, complete with private tours for guests. Turkish Minister of Finance Mehmet Şimşek delivered welcoming remarks to begin the evening. Former US National Security Advisors Zbigniew Brzezinski and Brent Scowcroft, both of whom are members of the Atlantic Council International Advisory Board, then engaged in a moderated discussion with Atlantic Council President and Chief Executive Officer Frederick Kempe. The three men discussed Turkey, Iran, Russia and changes in world politics over the past two decades.

Minister Bağis speaks to the Forum

The closing day of the Forum included keynote remarks from Turkish Minister for European Union Affairs and Chief Negotiator Egemen Bağis and conversations on economic integration, investment opportunities, successful development strategies, and the relationship between Iraq, Turkey and Eurasia.
 

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Quotes

“Within the region itself, integration is not so well-developed. Aside from energy, trade across the Black Sea is not particularly impressive, and the farther east one goes in the region, the more one is struck by the lack of trade among countries, the lack of economic integration.”
Ross Wilson, Director, Dinu Patriciu Eurasia Center
 

“Three decades ago, globalization was the key word to increased welfare around the globe, but today, it needs redefining and enriching. Globalization should now be accompanied by other factors, such as balanced, fair and sustainable growth governed by international institutions and rules in all regions of the world.”
Egeman Bagis, Minister for European Union Affairs and Chief Negotiator, Republic of Turkey
 

“Integration and cooperation are the key words to ensure that we have this free trade. Or else, trade volumes will shrink and we will have more unemployment and that’s going to create social unrest, and that is going to be something very hard to deal with. So the key message is we have to work together. And our motto should be “regionally integrated, globally connected, yet regulated.”
Egeman Bagis, Minister for European Union Affairs and Chief Negotiator, Republic of Turkey
 

“It’s in our interests, economic interests, energy interests, security interests to have all of our neighbors to reach a certain degree of political stability and economic growth because that will benefit at the end, us. But that’s not a selfish point of view. In fact, at the end of the day, that’s a contribution to regional peace and in turn, obviously, to global peace.”
Ibrahim Kalin, Founding director of the SETA Foundation for Political, Economic and Social Research
 

“Turkey is today serving as a strategically important energy transit country, and this is a fact that is accepted and acknowledged by all the world.”
Ahmet Calik, Founder and Chairman, Calik Holding
 

“I’m deeply convinced that gas is definitely the energy of the future, of the next decades.”
Werner Auli, Chief Executive Officer, OMV Gas
 

“When we look at energy issues in our world and in our country, we must not just be looking at the subject from our own point of view but take it into account within the framework of international relations. “
Tener Yildiz, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, Republic of Turkey
 

“Turkey today reflects a “remarkable act of modernization and democratization” that strikes “a relaxed, but intelligent balance between the requirements of democracy, traditional religious values and a modern, secular state.”
Zbigniew Brezinski, National Security Advisor to US President Jimmy Carter and Member, Atlantic Council International Advisory Board
 

“I think also countries like Georgia are to be commended. Georgia is not a significant producer of hydrocarbons today. But here is a country that allows two major oil pipelines, three major oil ports on its territory. Many countries are not that open. And Georgia’s openness has been key to, I think, the success of Azerbaijan and its ability to develop. And Azerbaijan, again, is a country to be commended for its openness to international investment. “
Ian Macdonald, Vice President, Europe, Eurasia and Middle East Exploration and Production Limited, Chevron