The New York Times

January 26, 2003

U.S. Supports Anticrime Group in the Caucasus and Central Asia

By DAVID BINDER

WASHINGTON, Jan. 25 — With concern growing about the dangers worldwide of organized crime and terrorism, the United States will provide financial support for law enforcement to a regional group of countries in the Caucasus and Central Asia, officials from the United States and participating countries said this week.

The five — Georgia, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan and Moldova — formed their regional group four years ago and are planning a law enforcement center linking their police forces, border guards and customs authorities.

Their model for coordinating law enforcement is based on a center in Bucharest, Romania, that links Balkan governments to combat international crime. It has been in operation for two years under the auspices of the Southeast European Cooperative Initiative, which also has substantial American support.

Underscoring the increasing American interest in the wider region, John F. Markey, director of regional law enforcement programs at the State Department, said in a speech here this week, "Assistance to Southeast Europe, Central Asia and the Caucasus in 2002 is approximately $1.8 billion — a large percentage of it focused on rule of law and good governance."

He said "the ability to control or interdict items of contraband and weapons of mass destruction" was a priority in supporting these efforts.

Deputy Secretary of State Richard L. Armitage helped initiate the joint dialogue between the regional group and the United States three years ago.

The United States has already committed $6 million for customs and border control improvements by the five-country grouping and is supporting World Bank loans for further enhancements.

The five countries, formerly part of the Soviet Union, are members of the Russian-led Commonwealth of Independent States, the grouping that emerged from the collapse of the Soviet Union. But their joint regional efforts are entirely separate.

"Russia is not a member," said David Soumbadze, an official of the Georgian Embassy here, "but it is not an anti-Russian alliance."

"Our group has common problems, a common threat perception and, I hope, a common vision."

A State Department official said efforts were being made to interest Armenia — and eventually Russia — in participating, or at least to send observers to the group's meetings.

Officials of the five countries will meet next month in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, to begin constructing a "virtual center" — in cyberspace — with a data bank integrating law enforcement information dealing with both conventional crime and terrorism.

Meetings are also scheduled next month for customs officials in Kiev, Ukraine, and for border protection officials in Tblisi, Georgia. Overall strategy will be discussed in Yalta, Ukraine, in March.