PLENARY SESSION OF BSEC PA GENERAL ASSEMBLY COMMENCED IN BAKU
Author: S.Agayeva

TREND, Azerbaijan
Nov 22 2006

"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.