Mr. Chairman,
Mr. Secretary General, Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is a pleasure for me to address the participants and guests of the 19th Meeting of the Council of Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the BSEC Member States.

Only 6 years have passed since the last Armenian Chairmanship-in-Office. BSEC has grown into an influential regional entity aiming at uniting efforts, resources and common will within and outside the region in order to be best respond to the challenges of the contemporary world. Despite the differences, the states in the region have similar social and economic interests and have decided to focus on the all-round economic cooperation aimed at the improvement of quality of life of their citizens. While pursuing pragmatic goals and interests, our cooperation, however, should be built on the basis of common values of shared prosperity, predictable future for our peoples and other features which are the basic principles of BSEC. 
Although the Organization has noticeably improved its structural and procedural mechanisms, there is still much to do on the way of decisive reformation and improving the efficiency, effectiveness and credibility of the BSEC.

It is common knowledge that the Organization of Black Sea Economic Cooperation is committed to promoting closer ties among the states of the region, to enhance the mutually advantageous economic cooperation, to develop a common vision of the regional interaction.  We also strive to bring our contribution to a higher degree of integration into the world economy, establishment of a constructive and productive cooperation in wide range of economy in order to turn the BSEC region into one of peace, stability and prosperity.
       
        These fundamental principles of BSEC are firmly secured in a number of provisions of statutory papers of the Organization adopted by the Member States.
        In the meanwhile, over the last years there have been continuous efforts within BSEC to introduce sensitive regional and global political issues on the Organization’s socio-economic agenda and to produce politically charged wordings in the respective documents of BSEC.
I dare say that it is inconsistent with and is in violation of fundamental provisions of statutory documents of BSEC and in fact impedes the basis of multilateral economic cooperation among the BSEC Member States thus threatening to turn the forum into endless deadlocked deliberations on political matters.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The growing importance of the BSEC region in the world policy and the global economy with new priorities make us accountable for enhancing multilateral economic cooperation, improving neighborly relations and maintaining regional stability.
The decisive steps by the Organization’s Member States are of vital importance particularly at the present stage of the severe financial crisis in the world’s economy. The Member States should join their efforts and good will along with the rest of international community to try to find ways out of the world financial turbulence.  
I strongly believe that in order to raise its potential and influence in the region and on the international arena, our Organization must reinforce its operation and focus on productive implementation of multilateral economic programs in priority areas.

Due to the obvious realities, Armenia gives particular importance to cooperation in developing regional transportation networks and implementation of joint projects for comprehensive improvement and expansion of the existing infrastructures.

In this respect, I would like to acknowledge the positive developments in the process of entering into force of the Memorandum of Understanding on Coordinated Development of the Black Sea Ring Highway and call on the Member States for accelerating internal procedures to make come into force of the Memorandum of Understanding on Development of the Motorways of the Sea at the BSEC Region. I also attach importance to joining of all BSEC Member States to the Agreements on Simplification of Visa Procedures for Professional Lorry Drivers and for the Businesspeople Nationals of the BSEC Member States.
Among the important issues of cooperation in this area are: acceleration of the process of integration of the legislations of the Member States and constructive interaction between BSEC and the European and Asian transport infrastructures.

The BSEC region has a strategic significance. Armenia reiterates its confidence that the elaboration of joint projects of regional impact in strategic areas will promote peace, stability and prosperity.
The Armenian Chairmanship in cooperation with EU will undertake steps towards formulating an integrated BSEC regional energy strategy in the light of 2008 Kyiv Declaration which “set out new guidelines and objectives in view of new developments in the region and in the world in the field of energy”.

The Strategy envisages the elaboration of a Draft BSEC-EU Joint Policy Action in Energy, deliberations on the BSEC Regional Study on Energy and initiating the process of developing multilateral legal instruments that would facilitate purpose-oriented activities in energy sector within the framework of BSEC.

Integrating of national strategies is of vital importance for BSEC also with regard to the growing environmental challenges. It is essential to include nature protection among the priorities of the BSEC Member States. Armenia will strive for further encouragement of the projects including those elaborated jointly with the EU and other countries in this field.

Among other priorities the Armenian Chairmanship-in-Office will focus on further enhancing comprehensive cooperation between BSEC and international organizations to contribute to solution of complexity of social, economic and humanitarian issues.
The development of the BSEC-UN interaction and promoting the concrete project-related cooperation between BSEC-EU as well as other international actors are of high importance for the Armenian Chairmanship.
European integration is one of the political priorities for Armenia. Armenia welcomes the EU initiatives on enhancement of the BSEC – EU interaction where the principle of mutually advantageous partnership should be applied.
The BSEC-EU partnership is to be realized according to the basic documents on enhanced relationship adopted by the two entities through the elaboration of concrete result-oriented projects.

Armenia intends to encourage project-oriented agenda of BSEC in other priority fields of cooperation on the basis of the BSEC legal instruments - information technologies, institutional renewal, science and social life, emergency assistance, combating organized crime and others.
We welcome the constructive engagement of the Project Development Fund and future operation of the Hellenic Development Fund in this cooperation.

I am confident that as an organization having a special responsibility to promote multilateral economic development in the wider Black Sea area, BSEC should address the most substantial challenges of the regional economic cooperation and contribute to its effectiveness and to the development of a project-oriented agenda.
Member States shall strive to focus on fostering the necessary practical measures to maintain the reform process of improving the efficiency and visibility of BSEC on the basis of productive decisions, taken at the informal meetings of the Council of the BSEC Ministers of Foreign Affairs, the restrictive brainstorming meetings of the Committee of Senior Officials and at the meetings of the working group on organizational matters.
In this respect we welcome the outcomes of the recent informal meeting of the Council of the BSEC Ministers of Foreign Affairs held in New York and looking forward to cooperating closely in organizing the next informal meeting of the Council.
 
Ladies and Gentlemen,

In conclusion, I would like to extend a word of thanks to the BSEC Council of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Albania Mr. Lulzim Basha, the Committee of Senior Officials, the  BSEC Permanent International Secretariat and Ambassador Leonidas Chrisanthopulos, Secretary General, the Related Bodies, the Observers and Sectoral dialogue partners for their constructive work and hope to cooperate closely and in a creative way also during the Armenian Chairmanship-in-Office.
I would like to thank the outgoing Albanian Chairmanship on successful conclusion of its productive term which was indeed full of considerable outcomes and accomplishments in the areas of our common interest.
And finally, I extend my heartfelt gratitude to the Albanian Chairmanship-in-Office for excellent organization of the Meeting, to the Government and people of Albania for warm hospitality shown to us.

Thank you.