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On May 23 the 39^th Plenary Session of Parliamentary Assembly of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (PABSEC) began in the RA National Assembly.

Samvel Nikoyan, RA National Assembly President, PABSEC Acting President made opening remarks.

Welcoming the participants of the session Mr. Nikoyan mentioned that leading the Parliamentary Assembly during the last six months he had the opportunity to get acquainted with the activity of the organization, as well as with the possibilities to strengthen the inter-parliamentary relations.

To NA President's assessment, many common values and aims unite the Assembly member countries including the strengthening of peace and stability in the Black Sea Region, the establishment of good-neighborly relations with all the countries of the region.

Armenia gives great importance to the regional cooperation and integration processes, being one of the founders of the PABSEC and its parliamentary structure.

Mr. Nikoyan has noticed that multilateral cooperation and parliamentary diplomacy have gained great importance and actuality in the modern world. The aim is to support and develop those processes. As one of the internationally recognized regional organizations, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation annually expands the scope of its activity becoming an important factor of political and economic stability.

The legislative activity of the organization aimed at the economic and trade cooperation in the Black Sea Region must favor not only the solution of the inner problems of the member countries but also the establishment of reliance and mutual understanding between the peoples. With this very consciousness works are carried out to strengthen the regional cooperation.

The NA President has said that the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia takes continuous steps to improve the legislative field as well as to stimulate the cooperation in the spheres of politics, culture, education, and protection of environment with the aim of promoting the process of further liberalization of economy and trade.

During these six months of Armenian presidency in the Parliamentary Assembly the three specialized committees have done active work, have discussed and have taken into consideration a number of important reports on economic, social, and legal spheres. The members of the Assembly as well as the employees of the International Secretariat have decently presented the structure in the works of a number of international organizations.

He has highlighted the effective work of the working group on regulatory issues which has been discussing the issues on the statutory amendments of the Assembly for nearly one year.

Mr. Nikoyan has expressed conviction that the debates on the items included in the agenda of the Yerevan Meeting will have their positive consequences and will promote the further increase in the rating and influence of the organization and having more practical results.

The NA President wished effective work to the members of the Meeting and expressed hope that during the period of their being in Armenia they would have an opportunity also to get acquainted with our country and people having ancient historical values and creating values today. The NA President Samvel Nikoyan declared the 39^th Plenary Session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation open.

Vigen Sargsyan, Chief of Staff to the RA President read the message by the President of the Republic of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan.

It has been particularly said in the message that Armenia gives great importance to the activities of the international structures, especially to the activity of the PABSEC organization and the further development of the latter's parliamentary format as a key body of regional cooperation. Its striking evidence is also that Armenia expressed willingness to entertain this Meeting even during the last working days of the incumbent Parliament without connecting with the normal activity of the PABSEC PA with the internal state political calendar.

To the RA President's assessment, today parliamentary diplomacy occupies a special place in the development of the international relationships. Its role is even greater in the issues on the inculcation of democratic principles, the protection of human rights and ensuring the rule of law. The establishment of inter-parliamentary dialogue has great importance in the expansion of such values and in creating atmosphere of mutual trust. All these in their turn help to reach to the inculcation of continual peace and steadiness due to the establishment of full regional cooperation.

The RA President's message said: ''Armenia is sure that only by the expansion of regional cooperation, by the enclosure of close borders, by stimulating multilateral mutual collaboration it is possible to reach to mutual trust which will be the base for the solution of all disputable problems in a peaceful and mutual compromising way''.

In the RA President's opinion, the role of the PABSEC is again given importance in this context. He expresses confidence that common goals unite all of them aimed at deepening of political dialogue, the expansion of trade and economic relations, the ensuring of welfare for our peoples. The Republic of Armenia will continue to take steps to deepen that cooperation and will welcome any undertaking aimed at creating the atmosphere of mutual trust in the region.

The RA President notices that the general debates on the 39^th Yerevan Plenary Session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation are dedicated to the most modern themes: steady economic development, ecology, the satisfaction of population's social needs, the ensuring of the state promotion to private business. He expresses conviction that taking into consideration the mutual compromising approach peculiar to parliamentarism they can have a considerable role in the mentioned problems at the same time in the process of making decisions respecting the interests of all the member countries.

At the end the RA President wishes good luck to the works of the Plenary Session of the PABSEC PA.

Leonidas Chrysanthopoulos, PABSEC General Secretary also gave a speech.

He has presented the works done by the organization and its future deeds hoping that from now on the activity of the PABSEC will be just as effective in regional economic cooperation. The PABSEC General Secretary particularly highlighted the steady economic development, informational and communicational technologies, the improvement of trade, ecological, tax systems, the sphere of agriculture, the fight against organized crime, and the constructive decisions of the organization on the protection of human rights and the consistency to bring them to life.

At the PABSEC PA first Plenary Session statutory issues were discussed presided by Areg Ghukasyan, the Vice-President of the Parliamentary Assembly. After the approval of the agenda the issue on the new mandates was discussed and approved at the Meeting, Yevgeni Kapishin was elected Deputy of the General Secretary by voting, the issues on giving status of observer in the PABSEC PA to the Orthodox Inter-parliamentary Assembly and to the Inter-Parliamentary Union of the Islamic Conference Organization member countries were approved, the PABSEC PA 37^th Plenary Session protocol and report on Parliamentary Assembly Activity.

The next agenda issue referred to the information about the PABSEC organization activity which was presented by Leonidas Chrysanthopoulos, the PABSEC General Secretary. He has touched upon the works done by the PABSEC member countries ministers of Foreign Affairs at the 25^th Meeting which took place in Moscow, in the autumn of 2011, the joint declarations of the member countries ministers of Agriculture, the ministers of State of Emergency, the heads of Accident Services, the ministers of Transportation, the aim of which is to establish steady development of regional economic multilateral cooperation.

The PABSEC PA statement on the 20^th anniversary of the Organization has been discussed and unanimously accepted in which it is particularly confirmed the idea that the main goal of the cooperation in the PABSEC framework is the development of good-neighborly, friendly and partnership relations, the mutually beneficial cooperation in the spheres of politics, economy, and humanity. The Parliamentary Assembly welcomes the fact that an effective cooperation has been carried out in the spheres of transportation, trade, energy, communication, tourism, protection of environment, health, agriculture, and fight against organized crime. Willingness has been expressed in the statement to activate the cooperation even more and to do their best for the sustainable and peaceful development of the Region.

The next agenda item referred to the development of informational and communicational technologies. The heads of national delegations and the representatives of different international structures have had speech on the issue. All of them have emphasized in their speech the necessity of progressive development of this sphere, the role of information and remote communication in the development of modern civilization and different spheres of economy. Nearly everyone has expressed conviction that the achievements of the member countries in this sphere will be practically more effective if plans of joint development and cooperation are carried out.

At the second Meeting the PABSEC PA has discussed and approved the reports and recommendations referring to the spheres of the activity of the 3 Standing Committees on the improvement of the PABSEC member countries’ tax system, the implementation of the agreements in the sphere of the fight against organized crime, the educational system, and the problems of the children’s protection.

The deputies have also approved a number of amendments discussed in Istanbul and Tbilisi, including the amendments in the election order of the leadership.

Kirilo Tretyak, the PABSEC PA General Secretary has awarded Areg Ghukasyan, the PA Vice-President a letter of acknowledgment for promoting contribution and parliamentary works. The latter has thanked for the high assessment and for the cooperation wishing further effective work to his colleagues.

Summing up the works of the 39^th Plenary Session Armenia transferred the PABSEC PA presidency to Azerbaijan. Areg Ghukasyan gave the symbolic hammer to Asaf Hajiev, the Chief of the Azerbaijani Delegation.

The PABSEC PA autumn 40^th Session will be this year, in Baku on November 21-22.