Armenia transfers presidency over BSEC to Azerbaijan

The BSEC FM Council is being held in Yerevan on April 15-16. Armenia assumed the responsibilities of the BSEC in November, 2008.

"We transfer the presidency over the organization to Azerbaijan and wish success to this country in consolidation and enhancing of the region," Armenian Foreign Minister Eduard Nalbandyan at a press conference.

Armenia made a lot of efforts to advance the BSEC authority during its presidency, paying significance to deepening of the economic cooperation among countries and BSEC partnership with other international organizations.

Azerbaijani Deputy Foreign Minister Mahmud Mammadguliyev said that Azerbaijan receives the presidency over BSEC with a feeling of responsibility and will try to make BSEC an efficient organization.

Solution of existing problems, legal shortcomings, which hinder cooperation and efficient activity, will be top priorities for Azerbaijan during its presidency over the organization. The regional cooperation will be successful only with presence of peace, stability and security atmosphere in the region.

Mammadguliyev said that Azerbaijan would pay specific attention on unsettled conflicts in the region, which impede full scale cooperation.

"We will continue the cooperation with the EU, as well as use the experience of organizations to enhance our institutes," the Azerbaijani Deputy Minister said.

The BSEC was established in 1992. The members of the organization are Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Greece, Georgia, Moldova, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Turkey and Ukraine.

Observer countries in the BSEC are Austria, Belarus, Croatia, Czech Republic, Egypt, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Slovakia and the United States.

/Trend News/