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The delegation led by the RA NA President Alen Simonyan is in Ankara within the framework of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (PABSEC). The RA NA President gave a speech at 30^th Anniversary Summit of the Speakers of Parliaments. The speech is fully presented:

“Dear Mr Chair.

Dear Colleagues,

Ladies and gentlemen,

Yesterday in Belgrade a tragedy took place, I offer my condolences to my Serbian colleague and again express support to the Government of Turkey and the people for dozens of thousands human losses during February 6 devastating earthquake. In Armenia they know very well what is earthquake, and our country was among the first ones to respond to the disaster, sending humanitarian assistance and rescue group to the disaster zone.

It is very positive that the humanitarian cargo crossed the land border from Armenia to Turkey through Margara bridge which had been closed for 30 years.

From the previous year Armenia and Turkey begun normalization process of relations, in the frames of which certain achievements have been succeeded to record, but the unsolved problems are still many. We hope that in the near future it will be possible not only having humanitarian cargos crossing the land border, but open it for international traffic and trade.

Dear participants of the Summit, 30 years ago, the parliaments of our countries have assumed to carry out their peoples’ hopes and expectations and confirmed their resoluteness to make use of all opportunities for expanding the cooperation in different spheres and levels between the countries of the region. Today, those expectations remain as just up-to-date.

As founding member of the organization, Armenia reaffirms its commitment to the full use of the Assembly potential, for boosting the regional economic cooperation and effectively implementing the statutory goals.

Armenia highlights the closer coordination between the BSEC and the Parliamentary Assembly, which will foster the building of firmer interaction between them. Taking into consideration the experience of the past of holding joint meetings between the Standing Committee of the Assembly and the Committee of the BSEC senior officials, we think that we should resume similar meetings already long ago, to thoroughly discuss all the problems laid on the table. The Parliamentary Assembly of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation, to our conviction, should continue making its further efforts in apolitical, constructive and comprehensive way based on the principle of sovereign equality. The regional cooperation can considerably benefit from parliamentary cooperation.

We consider important the fact of harmonising the activities of the PABSEC and in general, the BSEC with global, especially, the UN Sustainable development agenda by 2030.

Armenia remains faithful to the goals declared by this organization. Despite numerous challenges, the people of Armenia distinctly and out loud reaffirmed its resoluteness to strengthen the respect towards human rights, rule of law, the equal opportunities in the economic and social life.

Dear colleagues,

In the Black Sea Economic Cooperation region, we continue clashing security serious challenges. The 44-day war happened in Nagorno Karabakh in autumn 2020, the ongoing war in Ukraine have serious geopolitical consequences for common security architecture.

In 2021, afterwards in September 2022 Azerbaijan initiated the next unprovoked military aggression along the eastern and south-eastern borders, invading and conquering our sovereign territories.

At this moment, it has already been 5 months that Azerbaijan grossly violating the provisions of the Trilateral Statement of 9 November 2020, has blocked the Lachin Corridor, the only life road of Nagorno Karabakh, being under the responsibility of the peacekeepers of the Russian Federation, which resulted in the humanitarian crisis. On April 23, Azerbaijan set up an illegal checkpoint at the starting point of the Lachin Corridor. Though the Azerbaijani side insists on the fact that the Corridor is open, but actually it continues remaining closed for free transportation.

The crisis had a wide international response. The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), the UN International Court of Justice made decisions on unblocking of the Lachin Corridor, which were despised by the official Baku.

Two and a half years passed after war, but until now Azerbaijan holds at least 33 prisoners of war.

The situation being created after the aggression against Armenia cannot become as a basis for stable and lasting peace.

In its foreign policy Armenia has reaffirmed the principles of good neighbourly relations and mutually beneficial cooperation. We don’t have territorial claims towards our neighbours, and we expect that our neighbours will also be led by that principle. On October 6, 2022, during the quadrilateral meeting held in Prague with the participation of the President of France and the President of the European Council the heads of Armenia and Azerbaijan confirmed their commitments to the UN Charter and the Alma-Ata Declaration of 1991, by which the two sides recognize the territorial integrity and sovereignty of each other.

Colleagues, in these days in Washington, on the initiative of the Secretary of the State of the United States the negotiations of the delegations led by the Foreign Ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan are underway. The matter of discussion are issues regarding the security situation created in the region, the settlement process of the relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan. I believe that this is a positive development, and I wish the diplomats success.

The conflicts should be settled through peaceful means. We are convinced that regional economic cooperation can promote the strengthening of peace, stability and the peoples’ welfare, as it is stipulated by the BSEC Charter and the appropriate statutory documents of the Parliamentary Assembly.

In 2021 and in 2022, the economy of Armenia recorded stable growth. In the previous year it was more than 14%, and the trade turnover with several Member States of our organization considerably enlivened. Our economy continues showing good results due to healthy macro-economic policy and legislative reforms affecting the economic development. We have also initiated essential reforms, which are aimed at the decrease of corruption and the rise of transparency.

As a developing landlocked country, Armenia again underlines the importance of unobstructed access to the sea by all means, as well as values the development of the regional communication and stable transport systems. Armenia is ready to continue the unblocking of communications on the basis of the principles of sovereignty, territorial integrity and full respect of national legislation.

In the international rapidly changing environment, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation should be a regional moving force. Only in case, when we, the parliamentarians, bring together our efforts, will be able to overcome the common challenges and make use of common opportunities. Let us make use of this jubilee anniversary and reflect upon the lessons of the past three decades and reaffirm our commitment to advance the organization.

Concluding my speech, I congratulate Ukraine on the occasion of assuming the upcoming presidency of PABSEC and wish the country success in their undertakings.

Thanks to host country for hospitality and for organizing the Summit.”