Armenia takes over chairmanship in PABSEC

ArmInfo. During the 51st plenary session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (PABSEC) in Tirana, the ceremony of transferring the  chairmanship from Albania to Armenia was held, at which the Deputy Speaker of the Armenian parliament Eduard Sharmazanov delivered a speech.

The Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly, in particular, noted:  "The Parliamentary Assembly of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation,  for a quarter century, year after year has expanded its activities,  becoming one of the most important factors of economic stability in  the region. It is very important that the activities of the Assembly,  as in previous years, remain practical and business-oriented.  The  countries of the Black Sea region, characterized by rich historical  heritage, multiculturalism and coexistence of different peoples and  cultures, united by their readiness to develop cooperation in many  areas, based on common economic interests, created an effectively  functioning mechanism of interaction based on the advantages of  geographical proximity, the enormous potential for cooperation and  broad prospects for mutual relations .

The main idea of establishing the PABSEC and its main priority is to  strengthen economic cooperation among the BSEC member states. Armenia  reaffirms its commitment to this idea and states that for the  effective implementation of the PABSEC objectives it is necessary to  maintain the economic character of the organization, avoiding its  excessive politicization. Interparliamentary and economic diplomacy  are tools for development, cooperation and integration.  They should  in no case be an instrument of political blackmail and pressure. We  basically reject the possibility of nominating political  prerequisites as a precondition in the process of developing economic  cooperation. We condemn the economic blockade of Armenia by  Azerbaijan and Turkey, which contradicts the basic principles of the  PABSEC. The illegal blockade of Armenia by Turkey and Azerbaijan  should remain in  the focus of attention of all international  structures, including the PABSEC. There is a fact of violation of the  principles of international conventions on the part of our neighbors.  The blockade impedes the provision of opportunities for Armenia to  enjoy all the competitive advantages in equal conditions.  As you  know, at the initiative of the Republic of Armenia, the process of  normalization of relations with Turkey started, which led to the  signing of the Zurich protocols in October 2009. Nevertheless, these  documents were not ratified, since Turkey put forward unreasonable  preconditions, which contradict the spirit and letter of the  protocols. Armenia remains committed to the principle of normalizing  relations with Turkey without any preconditions. Refusal from  economic cooperation can not serve as a tool for resolving political  issues; on the contrary, it can further alienate the political  solution of existing problems. The solution of political issues is  often in ensuring closer economic cooperation, as a tool for  strengthening good-neighborly relations and creating favorable  conditions for increasing mutual trust and constructive dialogue.  Progress in economic cooperation can be achieved thanks to decisions  taken in the interests of all parties and respect for the principles  of mutual benefit and equality. "