USTDA Regional Brief - Europe and Eurasia

The U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) advances economic development and U.S. commercial interests in developing and middle-income countries. The agency funds various forms of technical assistance, early investment analysis, training, orientation visits and business workshops that support the development of a modern infrastructure and a fair and open trading environment. USTDA's strategic use of foreign assistance funds to support sound investment policy and decision-making in host countries creates an enabling environment for trade, investment and sustainable economic development. In carrying out its mission, USTDA gives emphasis to economic sectors that may benefit from U.S. exports of goods and services.

Since greatly expanding its program in Europe and Eurasia with the political changes in 1990, USTDA has provided funding of over $300 million for studies and other assistance on many major infrastructure projects in Europe and the countries of the former Soviet Union. Afghanistan, due to its ties to Central Asia, also falls within USTDA's Europe and Eurasia region.

USTDA assistance in the region is often focused on feasibility studies that help create long-term relationships between U.S. firms and their local counterparts that open the door to U.S exports. USTDA funding in support of such projects has two benefits: it reduces the level of investment risk American companies face in uncertain markets, and it provides reassurance to local partners that their projects are backed by active U.S. Government support.

In carrying out its Europe and Eurasia program, USTDA often coordinates with federal agencies such as the Export-Import Bank of the United States (Ex-Im Bank), which provides trade financing, and the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC), which provides insurance and financing for U.S. investments. USTDA also maintains close relations with the multilateral financing agencies including the World Bank, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), and the International Finance Corporation (IFC) as well as the various private and public sector investment funds that have been established to support projects in the region. In appropriate cases, USTDA also works closely with U.S. Government technical agencies, such as the FAA and the Department of Energy.

In addition to promoting U.S. commercial interests, USTDA activities in Europe and Eurasia serve to strengthen the economic reform process underway in the region by encouraging U.S. private sector partnerships with local entities. These partnerships in turn help provide the success stories needed to encourage the countries of the region to stay the course of reform.

Traditionally, most of the agency's activities in Europe and Eurasia have involved only a single country. More recently, in concert with other U.S. Government agencies, USTDA has recognized the importance of taking a broader approach to regional economic cooperation, in particular, looking at ways to link Central Asia with its neighbors to the south, including Afghanistan. The result is USTDA's South and Central Asia Regional Initiative, which is designed to assist the Central Asian states and Afghanistan in their economic development goals, while hastening their integration into the world economy. Several regional projects under this Initiative are now underway, and more are expected in the near future.

The following is an illustrative list of projects that USTDA has supported in Europe and Eurasia:

Afghanistan

Housing and Mortgage Program Phase I – USTDA is providing $195,000 for Phase I of a feasibility study on 10,000 new housing units outside of Kabul and a 15 to 20 year mortgage program for low and middle income families. International Home Finance and Development, LLC of Aurora, CO, is conducting the study.

Azerbaijan

SSPF Pension Program Development - USTDA is providing $600,000 to partially fund technical assistance to analyze options, develop models and make recommendations on new pension programs for the State Social Protection Fund of Azerbaijan. Contractor selection is ongoing.

Bulgaria

Information and Communications Technology (ICT) - USTDA funded a $199,866 orientation visit that brought senior Bulgarian ICT officials to the U.S. to showcase cutting-edge e-government and emergency management technologies and services. Koeppen, Elliott & Associates of Washington, DC, organized the visit.

Croatia

Meteorological and Hydrological Service Modernization - USTDA is funding a $495,000 feasibility study to help the Meteorological and Hydrological Service in Croatia develop advanced monitoring and forecasting capabilities. The University of Oklahoma National Weather Center of Norman, OK, is conducting the study.

Georgia

Coal Bed Methane / Coal Mine Methane – USTDA is providing $540,000 to partially fund a feasibility study on recovering methane from coal seams, active coal mines, and abandoned coal mines in the Tkibuli-Shaori Coal Basin. Advanced Resources International of Fairfax, VA, is conducting the study.

Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan Underground Gas Storage - USTDA provided $640,000 to the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources to partially fund a feasibility study on the reconstruction of two underground gas storage facilities. BSI Industries of Columbus, OH, conducted the study.

Kyrgyzstan

Datka-Kemin Transmission Line - USTDA is providing $537,595 for a feasibility study on the proposed Datka-Kemin Transmission Line project in Kyrgyzstan. Auriga Corporation of Milpitas, CA, is conducting the study.

Latvia

Air Traffic Management System Advanced Modernization Program – USTDA is providing $690,170 to fund technical assistance in planning for air traffic capacity increases, air traffic control technologies upgrades and ongoing facilities maintenance at Riga International Airport. Contractor selection is ongoing.

Lithuania

Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Import Terminal – USTDA is providing $826,501 to partially fund a feasibility study on the construction of an LNG import terminal at one of three potential sites along Lithuania’s Baltic Sea coast. Science Applications International Corp. of San Diego, CA, is conducting the study.

Montenegro

Water Sector Revolving Investment Fund - USTDA provided $463,950 for technical assistance in designing a revolving investment fund allowing Montenegrin water utilities to obtain necessary funds for operational maintenance and improvements. The International Association of Development Funds of Bethesda, MD, provided the assistance.

Poland

Gdansk Integrated Emergency Management System (IEMS) - USTDA is providing $171,167 to the City of Gdansk for technical assistance upgrading its IEMS and redefining operational, infrastructure and local planning requirements. Winbourne & Costas, Inc. of Washington, DC, is providing the assistance.

Romania

Next Generation Network - USTDA is providing $700,000 to the Romanian Special Telecommunications Service for a feasibility study to develop a next generation network for use in emergency management and operations. Telecordia Technologies, Inc. of Piscataway, NJ, is conducting the study.

Russia

Krasnoyarsk Air Transport Hub - USTDA is providing $513,800 to partially fund technical assistance in planning the modernization and expansion of Krasnoyarsk Airport into a multimodal transportation hub. Simat, Helliesen & Eichner of Cambridge, MA, is providing the assistance.

Serbia

City of Nis CHP Plant – USTDA is funding a $434,000 feasibility study on the development of a 150MW combined heat and power plant for the city of Nis, in southeastern Serbia. The Worley Parsons Group of Reading, PA, is conducting the study.

Tajikistan

Fon Yaghnob Coal-Fired Power Plant – USTDA is providing $875,378 for a feasibility study on the coal mining component of a proposed integrated coal mining and power generation project at Fon Yaghnob, Tajikistan. Contractor selection is ongoing.

Turkey

Information and Communications Technology (ICT) – USTDA is funding a $200,400 orientation visit to bring Turkish officials to the U.S. to showcase cutting-edge ICT for use in education, energy distribution, government administration and seismic risk management. Koeppen, Elliott & Associates of Washington, DC, is organizing the visit.

Turkmenistan

Oil and Gas Training - USTDA provided $785,445 to familiarize Turkmen oil and gas sector officials with U.S. and international standards and best practices in legal and regulatory affairs in the sector, as well as production sharing agreements. Koeppen, Elliott & Associates of Washington, DC, organized the training.

Ukraine

Bila Tserkva Cargo Hub Airport - USTDA is providing $238,843 to partially fund a feasibility study on the proposed rehabilitation of the Bila Tserkva airport in Ukraine. Specifically, the study will examine the construction of cargo facilities to transform the airport into an air cargo hub. Solid Team, LLC of Claremont, CA, is conducting the study.

Regional

Euro 2012 Infrastructure – USTDA is funding a $240,104 orientation visit to bring Polish and Ukrainian aviation officials to the U.S. to familiarize them with modern airport technologies, design and management practices in advance of the 2012 European Football Championships. The Louis Berger Group of Morristown, NJ, is organizing the visit.