The study, from the Organisation’s Development Centre, its specialist arm on development matters, analyses the comparative macro-economic situation and prospects of seventeen Black Sea and Central Asian countries. The study is supported by the governments of Greece, Turkey and Romania.

The transition of most Black Sea and Central Asian countries into market-based economies has created opportunities and, in some cases, relatively high growth in recent times; it has also, however, produced new challenges.

Many of these are in the socio-economic areas of skills acquisition, migration, social protection, ethnic relations, gender inequality, a disproportionately large informal sector, and job creation.

Taking OECD countries’ experiences and successful cases of dealing with these problems in the region, the book makes a series of recommendations for policy makers in order to foster quality, broad-based growth in the area.

The launch event, hosted by the Romanian authorities and the Development Centre, and sponsored by Erste Group will take place in Bucharest, Romania on 23 June.

Speakers include Romanian Minister of Foreign Affairs Lazar Comanescu and OECD Deputy Secretary-General Aart de Geus, as well as political and industry leaders from both the Black Sea and the Central Asian regions.