Situation in region presented to PABSEC representatives

ArmInfo.On 19 October , the 61st Meeting of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Black Sea Economic  Cooperation (PABSEC) Economic, Commercial and Financial Affairs Committee was held in Yerevan, the press service of the Armenian Parliament reports.

The Meeting was attended by delegates from Armenia, Bulgaria,  Romania, Serbia, and Ukraine. The topic Strengthening Parliamentary  Cooperation in the Field of Disaster Risk Reduction and Emergency  Assistance in the BSEC Region was at the core of the discussions. The  Meeting was chaired by the Member of the RA NA Delegation to PABSEC  Sergey Bagratyan, who is also the Vice-Chairman of the abovementioned  Committee.

Welcoming the guests, the RA NA Vice President touched upon the  unblocking of the road, stressing that Armenia can become crossroads,  connecting East with the West, stretching from the Caspian Sea to the  Mediterranean, North with South. 

"In Armenia we call ed this project Crossroads of Peace. I hope that  the member countries would like to be part of this Crossroads of  Peace and have their contribution to its establishment and  development. Unblocking the roads is very important for the Republic  of Armenia, because our country has been under blockade by Azerbaijan  and Turkey for 30 years," the NA Vice President underlined.

The RA NA Vice President Hakob Arshakyan underscored that the  National Assembly of Armenia isinterested in strengthening  cooperation within the framework of the Parliamentary Assembly . He  mentioned with regret the fact that we continue to clash with  security serious challenges in the Black Sea Economic Cooperation  region.

In this context the NA Vice President reminded about illegal blockade  of Lachin Corridor , after t he inhumane siege of the peaceful  Armenian population of Nagorno- Karabakh, Azerbaijan unleashed  another large-scale military aggression against those people on  September 19. As a result, there have been hundreds of killed and  wounded, t he whole population of Nagorno Karabakh (more than 100 .  000 people) was forcibly displaced and fled to Armenia.

" It is extremely sad, that despite of decisions of the International  Court of Justice, resolutions of the European Parliament, PACE and  the parliaments of individual countries, appeals of executive bodies,  the international community, we all were unable to prevent the ethnic  cleansing of Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh. The Azerbaijani actions  are not confined to Nagorno Karabakh but extend to the sovereign  territories of the Republic of Armenia: In 2021 and then in September  2022, Azerbaijan launched another unprovoked military aggression  along Armenia's eastern and southeastern borders, invading and  occupying sovereign Armenian territories, some of which remain under  Azerbaijan's illegal control. Azerbaijan's approach is to impose its  preferred solutions on Armenia through force ," the NA Vice President  recorded.

According to him, for over three years Azerbaijan has refused to  return Armenian prisoners of war and other civilians. To conviction  of the NA Deputy Speaker, a ll these aggressive actions of Azerbaijan  endanger the prospect of peace and stability in the region. The  situation created by the use of force and aggression against Armenia  cannot become a basis for stable and lasting peace.

Touching upon the importance of the topic of the committee meeting,  Hakob Arshakyan noted that the issue of prevention of the threat of  natural disasters and provision of emergency assistance is more than  relevant for the Black Sea region. This is evidenced by the  devastating earthquake that took place in Turkey in February of this  year, as well as the forest fires and water disasters that some  countries of the Black Sea region faced. In this context he  underlined that the Republic of Armenia did not remain aloof in  sending a rescue team and humanitarian cargo to Turkey.

In his welcoming speech, the PABSEC Vice-President, the Head of the  RA NA D elegation to the structure, the Deputy Chair of the NA  Standing Committee on Economic Affairs Babken Tunyan also referred to  the serious security challenges that our country is facing. The Head  of the Armenian delegation reminded about the illegal blockade of the  Lachin Corridor and the irreversible consequences of another  large-scale aggression of Azerbaijan, the policy of ethnic cleansing.  He underlined that the whole population of Nagorno-Karabakh was  forcibly displaced and fled to Armenia, adding that Armenia faced an  emergency situation in accepting and providing asylum to our  compatriots. Babken Tunyan described this situation as a humanitarian  disaster. 

To his assessment, the belligerent rhetoric and destructive approach  of one member state of the organization towards another pose security  threat to the entire region, undermining every attempt to normalize  relations. 

" Despite the difficulties and challenges, Armenia remains committed  to promote the efforts to establish peace in the region, " the MP  underscored.  Touching upon the topic under discussion, Babken Tunyan  highlighted the importance to strengthen the parliamentary  cooperation in the field of disaster risk reduction and emergency  relief and the enhancement of the legal framework for effective  assistance and risk management.

" As our region is often facing various natural and man-made  disasters, the prevention and neutralization of consequences of which  is often not possible only at the national level. I am sure that the  deepening of cooperation at the regional level in this area can be  very effective, " the RA NA representative stated.

The participants of the meeting were welcomed by the Deputy Secretary  General in Charge of Organisational Matters of the PABSEC Miltiadis  Makrygiannis and the Head of the PABSEC Serbian Delegation, the  PABSEC Vice-President Igor Becic.  Since there was no quorum at the  meeting, discussions were organized, but the decisions will be made  during the General Assembly to be held in the near future. I tem s on  the agenda were discussed, regional issues were touched upon.

The participants of the meeting exchanged ideas on the draft of the  report Strengthening Parliamentary Cooperation in the Field of  Disaster Risk Reduction and Emergency Assistance in the BSEC Region.  The threats to people's lives and safety due to natural and man-made  disasters and the necessity to prevent them and the importance of the  joint struggle of the PABSEC member states against them were  addressed. It was noted that the PABSEC should be able to ensure  legal bases for applying stable and complex mechanisms of struggle in  this area. The features of the national legislations in this field  were presented, the importance of the methods of combating disasters  in war situations was touched open.

The member of the RA NA D elegation to the PABSEC, the Chair of the  NA Standing Committee on Financial-Credit and Budgetary Affairs  Gevorg Papoyan emphasized the response of the PABSEC states in  emergency situations, assessment of capacities and relating t o them.  The MP presented in detail the steps implemented in this field in our  country both at the legislative level and within the framework of the  Government's activity programme. To his assessment, due to  geographical and climatic conditions, Armenia is exposed to many  risks, there are also technological factories, the safety of which is  important as well. The RA NA deputy referred to the legislative  regulations of the sector, the actions arising from the Government's  programme for 2021-2026, highlighted the steps taken in the direction  of preventing man-made disasters.

" It is important for us to be a participant in prevention and  elimination of the consequences both at the international and  regional level. The last example in this regard was the earthquake  that happened in Trkiye and Syria, in which Armenia took part to the  maximum extent as a supporting country in the elimination of the  consequences. The aim of all the states is one, to prevent not only  through criteria, but also through raising people ' s awareness, "  Gevorg Papoyan mentioned.

Other i tem s on the agenda were discussed, information was presented  about the activity of the organization of the PABSEC. The next  Committee meeting is designed to be held in Kyiv, ahead of the  plenary meeting.