Excellencies,
Mr. Secretary-General,
Ladies and gentlemen,

At the outset I would like to express our gratitude to President Sezer and the Turkish Government for organizing this historic reunion, exactly a decade from the day when the decision was made to establish the Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation. Today it is difficult to imagine our region without this mechanism with its huge potential for multilateral cooperation. Indeed, despite differences among some member states on certain issues, the BSEC has already proven its viability. 

The BSEC was formed because we realized that by maximizing and combining our resources we would be able to compete and benefit from a globalized society. We also recognized that although we have some political and, even more, economic interests in common, our varied political systems, orientations and interests lead to grave differences and sometimes incompatibilities. Therefore, we wisely chose the path of economic cooperation, believing that our common stake in improving the quality of our citizens' lives would override the divisions among us. 

In the years to come, we will have many opportunities to demonstrate that this was an intelligent choice. The politicization that sometimes blinds us to today's opportunities for shared prosperity and a bright future can still be set aside in favor of enlightened self-interest. We can agree to disagree because we know that we can thus tackle together the regional challenges which we cannot tackle alone. We need only realize that the risk involved in setting aside differences is worth it, given the benefits to be gained by true cooperation. 

The questions that face us as a region are a microcosm of the issues that face the world: How can we create effective partnerships in a diverse region? Which comes first – economic collaboration or political cooperation? What is necessary for the formation of common interests and values? Where does cultural dialog fit into international relations? How can we close the recurring gap between objectives and programs? What happens when natural resources are unevenly distributed in the same geographic area?

These questions are very compelling in our neighborhood. No one doubts that in the search for answers, we must deepen our cooperation in the BSEC framework and accelerate the BSEC's evolution into a fully-fledged international organization.

We have completed the BSEC's formative stage. And, in working to better utilize the promise of this organization, we have established the Black Sea Trade and Development Bank. Today, we are looking to establish the BSEC Project Development Fund which will stimulate cooperation on specific regional projects. We are looking to increase effective partnerships and cooperation with the EU, and Armenia hopes we will further expand the cooperation between the BSEC and other international and regional organizations, in particular the United Nations system, bolstered by the relevant General Assembly resolutions. Throughout, we are also working to improve the effectiveness of the organization itself. 

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Since its establishment, this organization, and the world, are facing even more complex challenges. The events of September 11 demonstrated that in this new world, groups and individuals more and more often interact directly across frontiers, without involving the state. In a region such as ours, where interstate relations are uneven, this can be a useful activity. However, the absence of rigid frontiers also brings with it such dangers as terrorism, narcotics, pollution, disease, weapons, refugees and migrants.

Armenia attaches special importance to cooperation in combating organized crime, in particular terrorism, illegal drug and weapon trafficking and illegal migration. We are pleased to acknowledge that since the first Meeting of the Ministers of Interior, which took place in Yerevan in 1996, such cooperation is well underway and has already achieved notable results.

This successful track record is evidence that our whole is greater than the sum of our parts. The eleven member states that make up BSEC have varied geographies, histories, governing traditions, resources and prospects for development. What we have in common are the basic elements for mutually beneficial cooperation across the lands that are influenced by the Black Sea and its wealth and potential. 

Ladies and Gentlemen, the other thing we have in common is the opportunity that is waiting at our door – to collectively transform this region into an active constituent part of the emerging global landscape rather than remaining spectators to the development of the world that is forming around us.