Dear session participants!
I heartily congratulate you on the opening of the 40th plenary session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation Organization.
At the present stage, regional organizations play an increasingly important role in the expansion of political and economic relations between states, protection of peace, security and stability. Established 20 years ago, the Black Sea Economic Cooperation Organization has put forward various initiatives to enhance cooperation in the region and made serious effort to put them into practice. The development of relations with the BSEC and its Parliamentary Assembly
has been one of the main directions of Azerbaijan’s foreign policy. We have always valued the contribution of this organization to the deepening of bilateral and multilateral cooperation in the region and to the search for solutions to our common problems.
The transnational projects undertaken and implemented through the joint efforts of BSEC member-states have created favorable conditions for the dynamic development of our region. However, along with this, the existence of a number of unresolved problems in our region, including the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, remains a major obstacle to the progress of countries located here. The occupation of 20 per cent of Azerbaijani territory as a result of Armenia’s military aggression against Azerbaijan, the expulsion of a million of our fellow citizens from their homes impede not only our development but also the development of other neighboring countries and the region and pose a serious threat to peace and progress. There is no doubt that a fair settlement of the conflicts on the basis of generally recognized principles and norms of international law can open up completely new prospects for the development of international cooperation.
Dear session participants!
The fact that Baku is hosting a high-level forum of such an authoritative international organization as the Parliamentary Assembly of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation, which unites the parliaments of 12 countries, is a significant event for us. I do hope that the decisions to be made at this session will give an impetus to the strengthening of cooperation between our countries and serve the well-being of our peoples. I cordially welcome you to Azerbaijan again
and wish your representative forum every success.
Ilham Aliyev
President of the Republic of Azerbaijan
Baku city, 26 November 2012.
