For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
July 26, 2001

Memorandum for the Heads of Executive Departments and Agencies
Subject: Charter for Coordinator of U.S. Assistance to Europe and Eurasia

The United States has a vital stake in a stable and secure Europe and Eurasia. Maintaining effective support for the expanding free market and promoting the democratic transformation of the formerly Communist societies of Central and Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union remain among our highest foreign policy priorities. Over the past decade, bilateral assistance programs under the "Support for East European Democracies (SEED) Act" of 1989 and the "Freedom for Russia and Emerging Eurasian Democracies and Open Markets (FREEDOM) Support Act" of 1992 have played an important role in advancing democratic and economic reforms in the formerly Communist countries of the region. Other projects funded through legislation, such as the Cooperative Threat Reduction Act of 1993, have advanced our denuclearization and nonproliferation objectives.

Despite remarkable progress in many countries, the ultimate success of reform efforts across the region is by no means assured. This fact, combined with budget realities that constrain the level of funding for our bilateral assistance to the region, makes it imperative that our assistance be as targeted, relevant, and efficient as possible.

To achieve maximum coordination of efforts that promote such reforms and policies within the executive branch, I hereby designate Ambassador William B. Taylor, Jr., to serve as the SEED Program Coordinator, in accordance with section 601 of the SEED Act, and to continue serving as Coordinator of U.S. Assistance to the Newly Independent States (NIS), in accordance with section 102 of the FREEDOM Support Act.

Ambassador Taylor's responsibilities will include:

1. designing an overall assistance strategy for each SEED and FREEDOM Support Act country;
2. overseeing program and policy coordination among United States Government agencies;
3. pursuing coordination with other countries and international organizations;
4. ensuring proper management and oversight by agencies responsible for implementation of assistance programs; and
5. resolving policy and program disputes among United States Government agencies.

Ambassador Taylor will also act as Chairman of the Assistance Working Group of the interagency Europe-Eurasia Policy Coordinating Committee.

In fulfilling these duties, Ambassador Taylor will preside over the allocation of U.S. assistance resources. He will direct and coordinate the interagency process of development, funding, and implementation of all United States Government bilateral assistance, trade, and investment programs related to the SEED and FREEDOM Support Act countries.

To enable Ambassador Taylor to carry out these responsibilities effectively, the Departments of Defense, the Treasury, Justice, State, Commerce, Agriculture, Health and Human Services, and Energy; the Agency for International Development, U.S. Customs Service, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Drug Enforcement Agency, Immigration and Naturalization Service, Peace Corps, Environmental Protection Agency, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Overseas Private Investment Corporation, Trade and Development Agency, Export-Import Bank, and all other executive departments and agencies with activities related to bilateral assistance and export and investment activities in the SEED and FREEDOM Support Act countries are directed, to the extent permitted by law, to bring all programs and budget plans for such assistance and activities to Ambassador Taylor for review before submission to the Office of Management and Budget, and before implementation. Ambassador Taylor shall ensure that all such plans are consistent with Administration priorities and policies. Heads of such entities shall designate an appropriate official to assist Ambassador Taylor in accomplishing the objectives of this mandate.

Ambassador Taylor will work with the U.S. Ambassadors to the SEED and FREEDOM Support Act countries to strengthen coordination mechanisms in the field and increase the effectiveness of our assistance and export and investment programs on the ground. Assistance activities in the field will be coordinated by Ambassadors or their designate.

                               GEORGE W. BUSH

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