VARTAN OSKANIAN: COMMON FEATURES OF BSEC COUNTRIES SHOULD PREVAIL OVER THEIR DIFFERENCES

Noyan Tapan
Nov 01 2006

MOSCOW, NOVEMBER 1, NOYAN TAPAN. The Armenian Foreign Minister Vartan
Oskanian took part in the 15th meeting of the Council of Foreign
Ministers of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation Organization (BSEC)
in Moscow on October 31 – November 1. According to the RA MFA Press
and Information Department, within the meeting’s framework, he met
with the Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. The sides discussed
the bilateral relations and regional problems, and addressed the
issue of the peaceful settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict.

During the 15th meeting of BSEC Council of Foreign Ministers ,
V. Oskanian made a speech, in which he noted that despite the existing
problems, BSEC member states have much in common. In his words,
these common features should prevail over the existing differences,
which will allow to create a environment conducive to the solution
of political problems. He said that along with the efforts to create
a transport link, there are also attemps to resort to the policy
of by-passing or forcing out some member states or ignoring the
already existing transport means, which is unacceptable for members
of the same organization. Speaking about the upcoming Bulgaria’s and
Romania’s joining the EU, V. Oskanian underlined that this opens
a new opportunity for close cooperation of the BSEC and the EU,
taking into account certain common interests and some countries’
membership of both organizations. The minister proposed studying the
experience during preparation for the summit on the 15th anniversary
of the BSEC in Istanbul and making institutional reforms to increase
the organization’s efficiency. A joint declaration was adopted at the
meeting of the BSEC Council of Foreign Ministers. The chairmanship
of the organization was assumed by Russia (from Serbia).