2006 Press Releases

USAID ANNOUNCES LANDMARK GATHERING OF EASTERN EUROPEAN AND EURASIAN
YOUNG POLITICAL LEADERS

June 30, 2006

 

Local Media and Political Parties representatives attended this Press Conference

CHISINAU, MOLDOVA— At a press conference on Friday, the U.S. Agency
for International Development (USAID) announced its intent to sponsor an
intensive seminar for 70 young political leaders from 16 countries
across Eastern Europe and Eurasia this fall. 

 The 2006 event, tentatively slated for September 24-29, will be held in
Chisinau and implemented through a collaborative effort by the
International Republican Institute (IRI), the National Democratic Institute for
International Affairs (NDI) and the American Council of Young Political
Leaders.  Anticipated outcomes include the development of a youth
platform to be announced at a September 29 press conference and the creation
of a Web-based forum to facilitate continuing education, professional
development and intensified networking among participants and other
politically-active youth.

 “With this landmark event, USAID intends to build upon progress made
in the inaugural seminar in Ohrid, Macedonia last October to foster
strengthened commitment to democratic development among young leaders in
the region and to provide them with the tools to disseminate knowledge
and best practices to others,” said Brock D. Bierman, Senior Advisor
for USAID’s Bureau for Europe and Eurasia at a press conference on
Friday announcing the seminar.

 Participants will be selected by field-based USAID, IRI and NDI staff
who will identify candidates between the ages of 18 and 30 years who
currently serve as agents of positive change in their home countries. 
Representatives will be invited from Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan,
Belarus, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Georgia, Kosovo, Republic of
Macedonia, Moldova, Serbia and Montenegro, Romania, Russia, and Ukraine.

 The announcement was made jointly by Ambassador Rudolf V. Perina,
Charge d’Affairs for the U.S. Embassy to Moldova, Mr. Bierman, Michael H.
Getto, Resident Country Director, International Republican Institute -
Moldova, Alex Grigorievs, Director of Programs, National Democratic
Institute – Moldova and Viorelia Moldovan-Batrinan, Deputy Minister of
Education, Youth and Sports for the Government of Moldova. 
Representatives from Moldova’s Social Liberal Party, Party of Communists, Social
Democratic Party, Party of Social Democracy, Christian Democratic
People’s Party, Democratic Party, Our Moldova Alliance Party, the Popular
Republican Party and the Liberal Party also attended the press
conference demonstrating their support for the seminar.