The Black Sea Economic Co-operation Parliamentary Assembly (BSEC PA) may play a significant role in the restoration of peace and stability in the region, the letter from the Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev read and was forwarded to the participants of the 28th Plenary Meeting of the BSEC PA General Assembly which opened in the capital of Azerbaijan on 22 November.
The letter stated that the role of regional co-operation in ensuring peace and stability is gradually increasing in the contemporary world. From this point of view, the President of Azerbaijan attaches great importance to the strengthening of the bilateral and multilateral co-operation within the framework of BSEC PA. The transnational projects have assisted in developing the organization, Ilham Aliyev wrote.
The letter mentioned that the conflicts which exist in the region, including the Nagorno-Karabakh problem, are preventing the region to prosper. The State Head voiced his confidence in the letter that the political dialogues held within BSEC PA may assist in developing and strengthening the peace and stability in the region.
The meeting of the BSEC PA General Assembly is presided by the Speaker of the Azerbaijani Parliament, Oktay Asadov. On the first day of the General Assembly, the working organizations of the Assembly, the Bureau and the Permanent Committee, met to discuss the organizational issues and consider the activities of the BSEC in the second half of 2006.
Opening the meeting, Oktay Asadov highlighted the great importance of the organization in strengthening the co-operation amongst the countries of the region. However, he regretfully emphasized the negative role of the conflict situation existing in the region, and voiced his confidence that they would be settled within international principles.
The key topic of the discussions will be Ways of increasing the efficiency of the activities of the BSEC. The Assembly will organize debates on the report and recommendations prepared by the Special Committee of the BSEC PA at the time of the autumn meeting. The report Alternative energy sources and their possible application in the Black Sea region will be delivered by Bulent Tanl (Turkey), on behalf of the BSEC Committee for Economy, Trade, Technology & Ecology. Mircha Chopraga (Romania) will deliver the report Strengthening legislative base on protection of the intellectual property on behalf of the Committee for Law and Policy. The report of the BSEC Committee for Culture, Education & Social Affairs Globalization process and potential threats for the cultural diversity will be delivered by Olga Seliverstova (Russia).
Thereafter, the Assembly will confirm the recommendations on these issues. In addition, the members of the Assembly will witness the report regarding the activities of the Parliamentary Assembly and will elect the Deputy Chairman of the BSEC PA.
At the conclusion of the Baku session, the Chairman of the Bulgarian Popular Assembly, Georgi Pirinski, will accept the Chairmanship to the BSEC PA until June 2007. The Next Assembly General will take place in Sofia in June 2007.
The Baku session brings together the parliamentary delegations from BSEC member-countries, Secretary General of the BSEC Permanent International Secretariat and other BSEC organizations such as International Center for Black Sea Researches and Network of the Black Sea Universities. The observers and guests will be the representatives of the National Assembly and Senate of France, Knesset of Israel, European Commission, European Parliament, Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, Belarusian National Assembly, CIS Inter-Parliamentary Assembly, Parliamentary Assembly of Bulgaria and Russia, Inter-Parliamentary Assembly of Eurasian Economic Committee and Parliamentary Union of the Organization of the Islamic Conference member-countries.
Armenia is not represented in the meeting.
Created in 1993, the Assembly brings together the representatives of the parliaments from 12 BSEC member-countries Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Georgia, Greece, Moldavia, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Turkey and Ukraine. The Popular Assembly of Egypt, French Parliament, German Bundestag, Israeli Knesset, National Council of Slovakia and National Assembly of Belarus have the status of observer in the BSEC PA.