On June 7 at the Chamber of the National Assembly the 27^th plenary session of the PABSEC General Assembly began its works presiding over Tigran Torosyan, NA President, PABSEC President. The session attended the parliamentary delegations of Albania, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Georgia, Greece, Moldova, Romania, Russia, Turkey, Ukraine, Belarus, representatives of international organizations, Ambassadors.

Opening the activities of the Assembly and welcoming those present on behalf of the Armenian Parliament, Tigran Torosyan, NA President, PABSEC President noted the PABSEC General Assembly will strengthen our readiness to reach wider partnership between the member states of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation, create an atmosphere of mutual confidence, which will promote to find ways of the solution of the problems mutually acceptable. In this aspect, the last six months are characterized as a continuation of parliamentary dialogue between our countries. Mr. Torosyan expressed confidence that the economic cooperation between regional countries, the transparency and access of the transport link will assist to create an atmosphere of confidence, which is necessary for the solution of the regional complicated problems. PABSEC as a regional organization extends its activity year by year, becoming an important factor of political and economic stability in the region.

The PABSEC President mentioned that during the Armenia’s presidency in PABSEC a number of important steps have been initiated in the direction of economic development, increase of its authority through the rise of the legal situation. A number of sessions of the Assembly committees have been held, where issues of such vital importance were discussed, as the role of the civil society, the main principles of fight against economic crimes, the extension of concrete directions of dialogue between the peoples’ cultures. In his words, continuing the activity in the priority directions of economic cooperation, the Parliamentary Assembly was seeking to include a wider circle of issues, which are of great interest for our region.

To Mr. Torosyan’s conviction, the relationship between PABSEC and BSEC gradually develops more closely and positive tendencies are noticed at all levels of cooperation. The cooperation between two organizations’ secretaries in elaborating the joint documents has become more active and constructive.

The NA President highlighted the permanent consultations between the BSEC countries’ national delegations and Ministries of Foreign Affairs. The constructive role of PABSEC was also highlighted in the development of parliamentary diplomacy as an effective means of extending economic cooperation and a factor of strengthening the atmosphere of the peace and mutual understanding in the Black Sea region. Mr. Torosyan considered necessary the extension of the cooperation between the BSEC and European Union member states based on the principles of cooperation, which in the conditions of fulfilling economic programmes can promote the involvement of new investments and technologies in the region and have its contribution in the process of integration of BSEC member-states in the European structures. In his words in the international parliamentary arrangements the high level of PABSEC participation greatly extends the possibilities of the organization to reach its goals and it will be a fruitful basis in future for the interparliamentary effective dialogue.

The PABSEC President expressed gratitude to the PABSEC international secretariat. The specified systemized, organized work of the international secretariat headed by General Secretary Alexey Kudryavtsev and the modern preparation of the materials and documents, good organization of all sessions and arrangements on sessions and committees considerably promote the effective activity of the Assembly.

At the end Mr. Torosyan underlined the increasing role of PABSEC in the cooperation between the regional countries and development of the dialogue and expressed confidence that from now on the joint work will also resume with the spirit of active and mutually beneficial cooperation.

Robert Kocharyan, RA President addressed the Assembly participants. The address in particular said:

“I welcome the 27^th PABSEC session participants.

Till now the BSEC has effectively worked in the region in developing economic cooperation. However, there is still big potential. It is necessary to boost the joint investments in the regional substructures, especially in the sphere of energy and transport. The cultural, educational, scientific programmes, the development of tourism can also be of great importance. Such contacts enable us to know each other better, promote the dialogue of the youth of our countries. That is an important precondition for active business ties.

With your law-making activity you can form a favourable legal-contractual field for effective cooperation. Only with the availability of more liberal economies it’s possible to fully use the general potential of our countries. It should envisage free move of the capital, goods and services, open borders. It’s important to boost the cooperation, not expecting the settlement of the conflicts and evening of the conflicts. The cooperation in itself can have a favourable influence on the process of overcoming the existing complications.

Our countries anticipate common challenges of organized crime and terrorism, and at the same time the common striving of deepening the Euro integration exists. It means that we can unite our efforts in the direction of regional wide-scale cooperation.

I welcome once again the Assembly participants and wish productive work.”

Sergey Lavrov, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, Acting President of BSEC organization also addressed the Assembly participants. In the address it said that in Russia great importance is paid to the PABSEC activity, which today is the key body of the regional cooperation. The parliaments’ partnership is an important factor in the international policy in the aspect of forming fairer, more secure and stable peace. The Assembly assists the regional legislators to better get oriented in BSEC problems.

The issues of the energy security are at the center of session’s discussion.

Russia fully fulfills all the undertaken obligations to supply energy to his counterparts, seeks to create a system of energy security, taking into account the interests of all states. In order to reach the energy security joint activity of all the participants’ energy market is necessary.

The fight against economic crimes, the rise of the role of the civil society in the progress of economic cooperation, the dialogue of cultures is also one of the important issues for the Black Sea regional countries.

In the address it was noted that during its PABSEC presidency Russia also has the goal to promote the extension of the Black Sea states’ cooperation in the fight against terrorism, trade of illegal weapons, drug business. As before we should cooperate with the parliaments for reaching security, stability and prosperity in the region.

After approving the agenda, new delegates’ mandates, protocol of the 26^th plenary session of the General Assembly held in Tirana on November 22-24, 2005 and the activity of the Parliamentary Assembly, the PABSEC plenary session discussed the issue of the energy security

Nicolaos Tsartsionis, Head of Parliamentary delegation of Greece, highlighted the issue of the energy security in the region, as it has an impact on the security and future development of the Black Sea region. In his words the establishment of the peace has an important role for the whole region, and the conflicts should be observed as everybody’s problem. Greece, as the only EU member-country in BSEC, highlights the deepening of EU-BSEC cooperation and realizes its role in this matter. Greece defends the necessity of the future development of the balanced cooperation in the region.

Alexander Zasohov, Head of RF delegation, first highlighted the undertaking of the practical steps as a result of discussions, in particular, the adoption of specific laws and orders, which will promote the development of economic, legal and social cooperation between BSEC member-countries. The social-economic development of our countries depends on the energy, which means that the agreement of the draft between all members of the energy market obtains an important role. In the coping forum of the G8 a joint declaration on energy security is designed to set up and elaborate a strategic plan for its fulfillment. The outcome of the joint efforts should be the balanced markets of energy resources based on the cooperation of energy producers, exporters and consumers.

In his words, the role of the Black Sea region increases in the world policy. Russia intends to play an active role in the process of the regional economic and energy cooperation development. Russia highlights the strengthening of neighbourly relations and stability in the region, the creation of favourable conditions for economic cooperation. He noted that at this moment the most important thing in the aspect of energy is the escalation of the synchronization activities of the region’s energy systems and the creation of the Black Sea energy circle. It’s necessary to elaborate a two-year specific plan, distinctly fixing what investment can have each delegation. He proposed to set up a working group on the energy issues, which not only elaborates that plan but he’ll present concrete recommendations for the further cooperation development.

Zurab Davitashvili, Acting Head of the Georgian Parliamentary delegation, noted that after the collapse of the USSR Georgia and Armenia appeared especially under the hard energy crisis. If Armenia came out of the crisis very soon by re-operating the nuclear power station, in Georgia the crisis continued till the last year. In this sense, Georgia depends on the Black Sea regional countries. In such conditions the necessity of close cooperation and economic integration, elaboration of common strategy and fulfillment of joint programmes of BSEC member-countries is obvious.The oil gas pipelines from Iran and Central Asia through South Caucasus to Turkey, and from there - to Greece, Bulgaria and BSEC other member countries will be of huge positive importance for energy security of the Black Sea Basin countries, Europe, as well as the whole world in the processes of integration for the rise of the region’s transit role. Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline and Shah-Denis-Tbilisi-Erzerum gas pipeline can be considered the beginning of the region’s new functions.

Mircea Ciopraga, Head of the Romanian Parliamentary delegation also highlighted the regional energy security and the problems of legislative settlement.

Asaf Hajiev, Head of the Azerbaijani delegation, noted that the Black Sea region, as energy crossroads, is of great importance in the development of world energy. In the aspect of energy security, he highlighted the prevention of economic and political dangers, the fight against corruption and price policy. In his words, the energy, unfortunately, sometimes becomes a tool for politics. Opening or closing the gas pipeline or power transferring line, we can influence on this or that political decisions. He noted that in 2002 Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey launched the construction of Baku-Tbilis-Ceyhan oil pipeline, which will promote not only the development of the economy of three countries, but also the region. Recently Kazakhstan joined the oil pipeline, where the oil mining in 2015 will reach 125m tones. The construction of Baku-Tbilisi-Erzerum gas pipeline becomes of great importance. He noted that the regional conflicts endanger the fulfillment of the big programmes and impede the flow of the investments.

Gagik Minasyan, Head of the Armenian Parliamentary delegation, touching upon Armenia’s energy strategy, noted that the main principle is to provide the stable development of the energy through extension of the economic development and regional cooperation. We can’t reach stable development without providing energy security. Armenia, overcoming the energy deep crisis, seeks to make feel the consequences of the energy security loss. The strategy of providing energy security is based on the principle of applying three-phase diversification. Mr. Minasyan also highlighted Armenia’s integration to the regional energy system and Armenia’s participation in the regionalo programmes, in the sphere of gas transport, as well as power. Armenia is ready to take concrete steps to integrate to the Black Sea power energy circle, as a regional basic power supplier and as a transit country. The Armenian side repeatedly introduced the efficiency of technical economic substantiations of passing the gas pipelines through Armenia, the value of which is considerably low from the alternative versions. Mr. Minasyan expressed conviction that the implementation of the Black Sea power energy circle without Armenia’s power system integration, in the economic aspect has no reasonable substantiation. Noticing that the relevant forces try to withdraw Armenia from regional energy cooperation, which has a negative influence on the substructures of regional importance, Gagik Minasyan reminded that last year at PABSEC session the issue “The Development of Transport Substructures in the Black Sea Region” was discussed, in the assignment of which it has been affirmed that the drafts improving the transport substructures should be called into life, which take into account not only the interests of the whole region, but every country of the region. The forces, which are led by the benefit of this moment, try to withdraw the neighbours from the regional programmes, sow seeds of evil, the fruit of which will pick the future generations. The sustainable and long lasting development is possible provided the integration of all countries of the region.

Edward Mcmillan-Scott, Vice President of the European Parliament noted that the interest of the European Union toward the Black Sea region gradually increases, and the EU should assist the ongoing reforms in the Black Sea regional countries. The partnership in equal terms of the Black Sea and European regions with the aim of having economically and politically stable region has become a necessity. He underlined that the energy is an important means, development factor of economy for the development of the region.

Andrian-Sirjea Mehei, Vice-Chairman of the Economic, Commercial, Technological and Environmental Affairs Committee, representative of the Romanian delegation resumed the activities of the PABSEC second session presenting his report “The Cooperation in the Black Sea Region in the Fight Against Economic Crimes.” It’s noted that the economic crime is one of the important factors endangering the social-economic stability. The most important aspect of the economic crime is the corruption. The ongoing global changes in the world indicate the necessity of the fight against terrorism and its financing. Mr. Mihei underlined that the availability of the so-called “sensitive areas” is one of the most important revelations of the economic crime, which promote the illegal trade and the illegal turnover of the foreign currency.

In the report assignment it’s affirmed that we should promote the seeking of the peaceful settlement ways of the so-called “sensitive areas” problems in the region. At the same time it is assigned to the PABSEC member-countries’ parliaments and governments to deepen the practical cooperation with the regional other and international organizations for arising the efficiency of the fight against economic crimes and comply the national legislation with the international standards.

The issues of cooperation in the fight against bird flu were also discussed. Mircea Ciopraga, Head of the PABSEC Romanian delegation, introduced the recommendation “On the Cooperation of the Fight Against Bird Flu in Black Sea Region.” He noted that the PABSEC, realizing the danger of spreading the bird flu and the economic, social and medical consequences, finds the efficient fighting against the bird flu epidemics is possible only due to cooperation and coordinated activity between PABSEC member-states. Realizing the danger of spreading bird flu virus and considering impossible the monitoring of the wild birds’ migration, PABSEC assigns the parliaments and the member states’ governments to provide permanent, detailed and reliable information about the real danger, calls on the population to initiate fighting measures against bird flu spreading and strictly keep the security rules, if possible, adopting additional rules in accordance with European Union legislation and WHO rules.

The other session agenda issue was the legal and political issues. Mehmet Sevigen, member of Legal and Political Affairs Committee and the Turkish delegation presented the report “The Role of the Civil Society in the Black Sea Economic Cooperation Process.” He said that the civil society involves a great number of organizations, which operate in the voluntary framework and in non-governmental section. To Mr. Sevigen’s conviction, the civil society can have its contribution to the cooperation process, using the experience of the direct link with the local people and the local, social, cultural and ecological knowledge. At the end he added that the increasing participation of the civil society to the political processes will assist to the implementation of the PABSEC member-states’ unified problems and goals, preservation of peace and political stability in the region.

Borislav Ralchev, Chairman of the Budget and Finance Committee, representative of the Bulgarian delegation, presented the report assignment. The assignment says that the PABSEC is sure that the closer cooperation at all levels; including the increasing participation of the civil society is a necessary condition in the region to effectively provide economic, political and social integration. It was informed that the Assembly expresses readiness to concentrate the potential for the solution of the regional problems, assigning the parliaments and governments of PABSEC member-states to study the regional cooperation effective means and ways, assist the initiatives of the NGOs aimed at strengthening the relations between the peoples in the region, show appropriate assistance for creation of regional dialogue between civil societies.

In his speech Mekhak Mkhitaryan, member of PABSEC Armenian delegation touched upon power and civil society relationship, which can develop by public consent. As Mr. Mkhitaryan ensured, good conditions are created in Armenia for power and civil society cooperation. The power and the society should provide independence of speech, religion and judiciary, free and transparent elections. As Mekhak Mkhitaryan evaluated, the development of cooperation between member-states, the creation of the partnership legal bases, deepening of economic and political integration and the rise of the role of the civil society is one of the important directions of PABSEC activity. Mentioning the world experience, he noted that the public participation gives opportunity of more efficiency in different spheres – from social-political to state management spheres. Concluding his speech Mr. Mkhitaryan noted that the constitutional, legislative issues should be one of the main goals of PABSEC policy.

The works of the 27^th PABSEC plenary session will resume on June 8.