Unnecessary politicization should be avoided for fulfilling BSEC goals, says incumbent PABSEC President, Speaker of Parliament Ara Babloyan
15:03, 27 November, 2018
YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 27, ARMENPRESS. Armenia reiterates its commitment to the main idea of BSEC’s foundation – strengthening of economic cooperation between member states, however it insists that it is necessary to maintain the economic nature of the organization, by avoiding unnecessary politicization, Speaker of Parliament Ara Babloyan said during the 52nd General Assembly of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (PABSEC) in Yerevan. Armenia’s Speaker of Parliament is the incumbent President of PABSEC.
“Despite the pre-election processes, we, as a chairing country, attach importance to BSEC’s coherent and non-disruptive activity, and it is on this very basis that we are holding a plenary sitting days ahead of parliamentary election. I am sure that the [next] parliament of Armenia will be actively involved in international activities, given the yearly growing role of parliamentary diplomacy. PABSEC’s particularity is that it is the single parliamentary organization having exclusively economic character. Armenia is interested in developing multilateral economic cooperation in the region. However, the main idea and priority behind the creation of PABSEC is the strengthening of economic cooperation between BSEC member states. Armenia reiterates its commitment to this idea and insists that it is necessary to maintain the economic nature of the organization by avoiding unnecessary politicization for the effective implementation of BSEC goals,” Babloyan said.
He said the PABSEC’s role is growing significantly because economy is a key factor in international relations. He said that sometimes economic relations create favorable conditions for developing a productive political agenda, which contributes to settling disputes.
According to Babloyan, certain tensions existing in the region obstruct the deepening of economic partnership between countries. However, he argues that the strengthening of economic potential of the region’s countries can be a good prerequisite for reacting to challenges and strengthening stability. He stressed that one should not forget that the great part of the most difficult problems are possible to be solves by developing honest, sincere and unbiased dialogue, while the inter-parliamentary cooperation and parliamentary diplomacy are among the irreplaceable tools for establishing it.
Babloyan expressed hope that the Yerevan session will be another step in the direction of strengthening economic cooperation between countries.
Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan
