BRAMA, September 13, 2000, 1:00pm EDT

The Silk Road: a new path to Ukraine via satellite

© BRAMA/H.K Boris Tarasyuk, Foreign Minister of Ukraine   © BRAMA/H.K General Brent Scowcroft (l), former National Security Adviser, congratulates Professor Roald Sagdeev, Director of the East West Space Science Center of the University of Maryland for his innovative plan "SilkSat." Sagdeev, who is of Tatar ancestry and born in Russia, is an internationally known plasma physicist. He was director of the Institute for Space Research in Moscow and science advisor to former Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev. Dr. Sagdeev was one of five experts featured at the Nobel Conference XXXIII in October held under the auspices of the Nobel Foundation. The conference, held in Minnesota, billed Sagdeev and the other panelists as the world's leading solar system exploration experts.	New York (September 8) – Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Tarasyuk joined a distinguished group of country leaders and other representatives at a meeting to announce a new regional cooperative initiative called "SilkSat." The new project, conceived and proposed by physicist Roald Sagdeev (University of Maryland), is a satellite telecommunications system that would replace the existing infrastructure in the fSU countries located along the path of the ancient "Silk Road." The meeting titled "Silk Road Regional Cooperation Summit" came on the heels of the United Nations Millenium Summit, and was hosted by the EastWest Institute, a non-profit organization that works to promote democracy and enterprise development in Eurasia. Reconstruction of the ancient "Silk Road" in the form of a communications system as opposed to a physical highway is a way of forging a network of mutually beneficial relationships among neighboring countries, according to Tarasyuk. Although the original "Silk Road" never passed through Ukraine - maps show the route beginning in southern Europe, then skirting the southern shores of the Black Sea as it continued towards the eastern reaches of China - it will be integral to the proposed satellite pathway. Ukraine’s contribution to this particular venture, said Tarasyuk, will primarily be of a technological nature. He predicts that this sort of regional communications network could form the basis of a market in which Ukraine would benefit by becoming a major trading partner. Tarasyuk pointed to Ukraine’s technological successes on a global scale such as the SeaLaunch and Global Star projects. Its involvement in regional cooperative ventures such as "SilkSat" may be viewed as an extension of those efforts. The "SilkSat" project which was first proposed one year ago is still far from being a reality. Friday’s meeting was but an expression of commitment and support by the governments of the countries involved. According to Dr. Sagdeev, the technical plans and financial sources must first be crystallized. He estimates a preparation period of approximately 2 years before "SilkSat’s" implementation stage could begin, although the engineering and blueprint work should be initiated within the next few months. "Turnkey" (design, satellite construction, launch, and delivery of service) costs for the project could run anywhere from $40 million to $150 million depending on which of two options are chosen for the project design. One possibility is to use existing satellite systems which would hasten the process to completion, but the high cost of commissioning these systems may be prohibitive. The alternative would be to tap into new NASA and DOD (Department of Defense) technologies that may reduce those costs by 3 to 4 times. The tradeoff is that the alternative system would start off smaller and therefore provide less service at the outset, but later upgrades would exceed the potential of current satellite systems. The next step, said Sagdeev, is to seek out investors for this venture. He believes that returns on investments will be quick and profitable. Sagdeev expects to team with Ukraine on the "SilkSat" project because of its well-developed aerospace industry. He recently returned from a trip to Ukraine and was very impressed with the advanced technological capabilities he saw at the Southern Design Bureau in Dnipropetrovsk (Ukraine's President Kuchma was an Enterprise Director of this Bureau before entering the political scene). In addition to Ukraine, countries participating in "SilkSat" currently include Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kygyzstan, Moldova, Romania, and Uzbekistan. These are the countries that most urgently need a reliable communications system, but Dr. Sagdeev hopes that other countries such as Russia will eventually join the network. H.K., BRAMA
The ancient Silk Road paths bypassed Ukraine to the south and east. The proposed telecommunication paths will be integral to Ukraine and the rest of the region included in "SilkSat."
Statement of Senator Sam Brownback Silk Road Regional Cooperation Summit September 8, 2000 © BRAMA/H.K U.S. Senator Sam Brownback (R-Kansas) introduced the speakers. In his statement, he emphasized the desire on the part of the United States for "Sovereignty, continued independence, stability, prosperity and freedom in this region." I'm honored to be a co-host of this event and I appreciate the presence of our distinguished guests for another Silk Road Regional Summit. I specifically want to thank the East West Institute and the University of Maryland for bringing us all together and for making this event possible. We have nine countries represented here today: the Republic of Armenia, the Republic of Azerbaijan, Georgia, the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, the Republic of Moldova, Romania, Ukraine and the Republic of Uzbekistan. Once again, our distinguished guests have come here together representing not just their own countries, but a region; and acknowledging the critical importance of regional cooperation. Indeed, the theme of this summit is regional cooperation and a reaffirmation of the pledges of cooperation made at the first Silk Road summit in April 1999. Each of the countries represented here today is important to the United States in its own right and they all are at a very exciting time in their history. Even as they continue their nation-building, each nation faces individual and unique problems. Though much progress has been achieved in a very short time - after all 10 years is not a long period in which to create a new and functioning nation -- all face a number of similar challenges. There is tremendous opportunity for cooperation on a regional basis. The challenges are enormous: they range from threats to national security and the need for comprehensive border protection; to threats of terrorism and outside provocation and interference; to a need to rebuild the countries' infrastructure, water and energy distribution; to environmental cleanup and trade agreements; to a need to deal with problems like corruption and building a new civil society. There are more. I cannot stress enough: cooperation is the key to resolving these national and regional problems and, ultimately, to the lasting success of the region, and individual countries. A good example of the type of project that could benefit every one of these nations, is the "SilkSat" program. This project would build and launch a small-sized telecommunications satellite dedicated to the Silk Road nations. Such a network could have numerous advantages in terms of regional stability and would also open the doors to enhanced economic opportunities. For example, in addition to reliable digital communications for governments, militaries, and border security services, such a network could significantly enhance disaster response efforts, assist medical and educational services. And once established, it possibly could encompass still more neighboring countries. Though this program is still in a conceptual phase, it has the initial approval of all the countries represented here today. It is a wonderful example of a transnational project which could bring prosperity to the entire region, help safeguard the stability of all those involved, and serve to bring the countries together. Professor Sagdeev will be telling you more about the program, but I would like to recognize the tremendous amount of work he has done in getting the project off the ground: traveling to visit each head of state and making a very persuasive case for the "SilkSat" program. Of course, important steps must still be taken and a feasibility study still must be done. This is, however, exactly the kind of initiative the United States should be encouraging. Sovereignty, continued independence, stability, prosperity and freedom in this region of the world is very important to the United States. I would like to see a much more concerted effort by America in this regard, and I certainly intend to continue my efforts in the U.S. Senate. I also hope the next Administration will devote the necessary attention to promoting peaceful, open and sovereign governments, economic prosperity and mutually beneficial ties with the region. The key to achieving these goals is regional cooperation demonstrated through transnational projects.

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