AZG Armenian Daily #225, 24/11/2006

Cooperation

ARMENIAN MPS OPT OUT OF BSEC’S BAKU SESSION

The Armenian delegation did not take part in the 28th
session of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation’s (BSEC)
Parliamentary Assembly in Baku, Azerbaijan. The
previous session was held in Yerevan, and Azerbaijanis
opted in with security measure being provided.

"I am surprised not to see the Armenian delegation
here. I was present at unofficial meetings during
which the Armenian and Azerbaijani sides agreed to
take part in Yerevan and Baku sessions. The Azeri MPs
kept their word and arrived in Yerevan and that was
right. I regret that the Armenian MP’s decided not to
came," Georgia’s representative told day.az yesterday
on this occasion.

Gagik Minasian, head of the Armenian delegation to the
BSEC, told daily Azg that the Armenian side had sent a
letter to Azerbaijan’s parliament asking for security
guarantee. But no guarantee was offered and the
Armenian side a sent another letter to the secretary
general of the BSEC PA but the latter’s interference
did not solve the problem. Yet, besides ensuring the
security of Azeri guests in Yerevan, one of them had a
chance to tour in his birthplace in Sisian. "We were
hopeful that our Azeri colleagues will show a similar
attitude but they remained faithful to their
principles," Gagik Minasian said.

By Nana Petrosian