31ST SITTING OF COMMISSION OF LEGAL AND POLITICAL ISSUES OF PARLIAMENTARY ASSEMBLY OF BLACK SEA ECONOMIC COOPERATION HELD IN YEREVAN

Noyan Tapan
April 17, 2008

YEREVAN, APRIL 17, NOYAN TAPAN. The 31st sitting of the Commission
of Legal and Political Issues of the Parliamentary Assembly of the
Black Sea Economic Cooperation was held in Yerevan on April 16 with
the participation of the delegations of the eight countries of the
region and the representative-observers of the parliamentary assembly
of the Russia-Belarus union.

The delegation of Azerbaijan did not arrive in Yerevan.

After endorsing the agenda, Mikhail Yemelyanov (Russian Federation)
was elected new Chairman of the Commission of Legal and Political
Issues at the suggestion of the MPs of the eight countries and
with their mutual agreement. He made a report on the role of the
parliaments of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation member countries
in the struggle against international terrorism, which was the main
issue on the agenda. M. Yemelyanov mentioned that the parliamentary
assistance is one of the main guarantees of the success of the
struggle against global terrorism. The role of parliaments, according
to him, is especially important in the elimination of international
important documents, as well as in the creation of a corresponding
legislative field. M. Yemelyanov also mentioned that the Black Sea
region can become a favourable environment for organized crime and
international terrorism with the existence of unsettled conflicts
and its geographical position, therefore it is important to unite
the effort of the regional countries in the struggle against that
phenomenon.

The Commission was suggested to adopt a letter of recommendation,
in the fifth point of which it is mentioned: "The Assembly shares
the preoccupation, according to which the unstable political climate,
the unsettled and delayed coflicts in the Black Sea region, the great
number of refugees, the constant arguments concerning borders and
the tension of security problems create a possible danger that can
be used by terrorists in the region or beyond it. The regulation of
conflicts is the primary problem of the region."

The Azerbaijani side, then the Armenian one presented a suggestion
on this point, in particular. Asaf Gajiev, the representative of
Azerbaijan, proposed to add to the point the "phenomenon of extremism
and aggressive separatism" word-combination and remove the "constant
arguments concerning borders" expression. The struggle against these
phenomena, edited by the Azerbaijani side, should be carried out in
conformity with the principles and norms of international law. A
similar suggestion was made with regard to the seventh point as
well. The representative of Azerbaijan wants to mention GUAM as well
in the document, in addition to other structures, as an institution
having its contribution to the struggle against terrorism. Ara Nranian,
an MP of the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia and the
representative of Armenia in the commission, at first suggested
removing the fifth point from the letter of recommendation saying
that irrespective of the fact that the issue is important, it
does not concern the raised problem and is a subject of a separate
discussion. Taking into consideration the course of the discussion,
A. Nranian then agreed to remove his suggestion.

And as a result of the discussion all the suggestions of the
Azerbaijani side, except the one in one of the points of which
the peaceful regulation of the delayed and unregulated conflicts
is suggested to be implemented by the principles and norms of the
international law, have been refuted.

Two points have been added to the latter of recommendation addressed to
the parliaments and governments of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation
member countries at the suggestion of the representative of Armenia. In
one of them it is said that measures should be taken against sowing
religious and national disagreements, agitating xenophobia, hatred
and intolerance. And with the other one it is envisaged to declare
the Black Sea region as a region free of terrorism.

A document on the formation of a permanent delagation of the
Parliamentary Assembly in the European Parliament was adopted in the
31st sitting of the Commission of Legal and Political Issues of the
Parliamentary Assembly of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation.

The next 32nd sitting of the commission will take place in October 2008
in Baku. It is envisaged that A. Nranian, a member of the commission,
will make a report entitled "15th anniversary of the Black Sea Economic
Cooperation: the political aspects of the economic cooperation."

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress