ARMINFO News Agency, Armenia
December 2, 2017 Saturday


Round table "Security and stability in the Black Sea region -
challenges and opportunities" was held in Yerevan

Yerevan December 2

Mariana Mkrtchyan. The experts and diplomats in Yerevan discussed the
issues of security and stability in the Black Sea region at the round
table "Security and Stability in the Black Sea Region: Challenges and
Opportunities", organized by the Embassy of Bulgaria in Armenia in
cooperation with the Friedrich Ebert Foundation.

As the press service of the Bulgarian embassy told ArmInfo, the round
table was devoted to the 10th anniversary of Bulgaria's accession to
the EU and on the occasion of the forthcoming Bulgarian presidency of
the European Union in the first half of 2018.

The aim of the event was to create a platform for a balanced
discussion of complex issues of security and stability of the Black
Sea region from different points of view, and taking into account the
interests and interdependent nature of relations between the states of
the region.

Various groups of experts representing academia and NGOs from
Bulgaria, Armenia, Georgia, Russia and Ukraine, as well as regional
organizations, exchanged views on the complex security situation in
the Black Sea region and challenges in the region as a whole. The
event allowed the exchange of views and exploring perspectives on the
main problems facing the Black Sea region, which is one of the most
dynamic and strategically important zones in Europe. The participants
of the event mutually stated that in difficult times to ensure
security, it is important to make efforts aimed at maintaining open
communication channels, de- escalation and risk management.

The event was aimed not only at outlining the main issues arising from
various strategic, military and economic interests and priorities in
the region, but also in seeking constructive approaches to
revitalizing and intensifying regional cooperation by all possible
means, including economic opportunities, domestic reforms in regional
states and regional economic cooperation. The participants of the
meeting noted that Armenia will chair BSEC in 2018, thus having the
opportunity to contribute to the activation of regional constructive
projects.

The Deputy Foreign Minister of Armenia Shavarsh Kocharyan, Bulgaria's
Ambassador to Armenia Maria Pavlova, German Ambassador Matthias
Kiesler, attended the event. The ambassadors congratulated the
Armenian government and the Armenian people on the historic signing of
the framework agreement with the European Union.