YEREVAN (Noyan Tapan)–The plenary meeting of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC) held in the Bulgarian capital of Sofia on December 4-6 adopted a declaration on struggle against international terrorism. In the declaration–the BSEC Parliamentary Assembly condemned the September 11 terrorist attacks on the United States.
The members of the delegation–led by Victor Dallakian–and the chairman of the RA National Assembly’s standing commission on state and legal issues summed up the results of the plenary meeting in a press conference in Yerevan.
They said the meeting discussed ways of strengthening political cooperation by means of economic integration. Armenia’stated that economic cooperation may promote the formation of an atmosphere of confidence–which–in its turn–may become the basis for discussing and solving political problems.
Armenia’s position was supported by the Turkish delegation as well. According to Victor Dallakian–during unofficial contacts the members of the Turkish delegation confessed that they were tired of discussing Azerbaijan’s position according to which economic cooperation is possible only in conditioned of resolved political issues. Azerbaijan’s position was supported by Israel’s representative. Dallakian stressed the importance of the model "From Economic Integration to Resolution of Political Problems" adopted at the plenary meeting of the BSEC PA.
The Parliamentary Assembly also made a decision to hold annual children’s and youth festivals. The first such festival was held in the Russian resort city of Sochi in the summer of 2001. Information on the venue for the next festival will be specified in March 2002.
The plenary meeting also discussed Armenia’s participation in the Black Sea university movement. The main goal of the movement is to gain acceptance and recognition of diplomas issued by 67 participating universities in BSEC countries.
A meeting of representatives of BSCE member countries’ constitutional courts was held in Kishinev on December 10-11–under the aegis of the BSEC PA. The Deputy Chairman of the BSEC PA–head of the parliamentary delegation of Armenia Victor Dallakian participated in the meeting.