“It is a great honour to address you today at the 66th General Assembly of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation. I extend my deep appreciation to all of you for taking part in today’s gathering, demonstrating your continued commitment to regional cooperation, dialogue, and sustainable development,” the Speaker of the Parliament of Georgia, Shalva Papuashvili, stated during his speech at the 66th General Assembly of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organisation of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (PABSEC).
According to Papuashvili, recent years proved to be the most challenging for BSEC: Russia’s war in Ukraine and consequent developments in the Black Sea region seriously affected the activities of the organisation.
“However, despite difficulties, we managed to keep the organisation operational and ensure that we utilise this special format for promoting dialogue, exchange, and important results for our countries and the region.
In recent years, the strategic, economic, and security significance of the Black Sea region has remarkably increased. Our geographic space, connecting Europe and Asia, has always been at the crossroads of civilisations. Nowadays, despite numerous challenges and a complex geopolitical setting, we shall join our efforts to cooperate in all areas that will make our region more stable, secure and prosperous.
In this regard, peace is the most fundamental prerequisite. Long-term peace is not simply a desirable condition but the very foundation upon which prosperity, resilience, and shared growth must be built. A just and lasting peace in Ukraine is essential not only for the Ukrainian people but also for safeguarding the stability of Europe and the Black Sea area. We therefore reaffirm our support for all efforts aimed at achieving comprehensive peace based on international law and respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of states.
I would also like to highlight the historic opportunity before our wider region: the ongoing efforts toward a lasting peace treaty between Azerbaijan and Armenia. Peace on the ground has already been achieved, thus transforming the security landscape of the South Caucasus and unlocking immense economic and connectivity potential for the entire Black Sea region. We also welcome steps towards normalisation of relations between Armenia and Turkiye,” Shalva Papuashvili stated.
The Speaker of Parliament highlighted initiatives that, in his view, could play a transformative role in advancing connectivity.
“We believe that connectivity, physical, digital, economic, and human, shall be one of the central pillars of our cooperation. In this context, the Middle Corridor has become an essential route for fast, efficient, and secure connectivity. We remain fully committed to developing the infrastructure, policies, and partnerships that will enhance its capacity and competitiveness.
Flagship initiatives such as the Black Sea submarine electricity cable, fibre-optic cable, and the Black Sea ferry-feeder services have the potential to be transformative for the region’s connectivity. We are committed to accelerating the realisation of these projects.
Moreover, I would like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to the BSEC Project Development Fund (PDF) for funding the joint Georgian-Turkish-Bulgarian project – Blue Port Index for BSEC Countries, which was officially launched in September. We strongly support this project, recognising its potential to boost efficiency of the Black Sea ports,” Shalva Papuashvili has stated.
The Speaker of the Parliament of Georgia discussed the strong cooperation with PABSEC member states and emphasised the importance of parliamentary diplomacy.
“We believe that dialogue and cooperation yield stability, and stability enables development.
It is in this spirit that Georgia assumes the Presidency of PABSEC, as well as Chairmanship-in-Office of BSEC. We do so with a deep sense of responsibility and a strong determination to contribute to the Assembly’s mission. Georgia’s presidency will focus on advancing connectivity, fostering economic cooperation, and promoting parliamentary diplomacy.
We look forward to working closely with PABSEC member states, the Permanent International Secretariat, and related bodies of BSEC to achieve shared objectives of the organisation. We stand ready to use the strength of parliamentary diplomacy to build a region defined by collaboration and opportunity,” Shalva Papuashvili concluded.
