On December 15, RA Deputy Foreign Minister Paruyr Hovhannisyan participated in the 47th online meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation Organization member states.
Deputy Minister Paruyr Hovhannisyan expressed his satisfaction with reaching an agreement on important issues under the current presidency, in particular, the adoption of the 2024 budget, the completion of the process of updating the fundamental document of the “BSECO Economic Agenda,” and the reactivation of the BSECO Project Development Fund (PDF).
In his speech, the deputy minister emphasized Armenia’s contribution to increasing the organization’s effectiveness, pointing out the proposals of the Armenian side in this regard. Referring to Armenia’s macroeconomic policy and legislative reforms, Paruyr Hovhannisyan referred to the continuing high economic growth rates in Armenia and the significant increase in the volume of foreign trade, including with several CSTO member countries.
He reaffirmed Armenia’s position on the issue of unblocking communication channels in the region based on sovereignty, territorial integrity, and national competence, referring to the “Crossroads of Peace” program recently presented by the RA government, which will contribute to economic development and comprehensive and sustainable peace in the region.
Paruyr Hovhannisyan drew attention to the issue of more than 100,000 refugees forcibly displaced from Nagorno-Karabakh in September and taking refuge in Armenia, informing them about the urgent measures taken by the RA government to meet their acute needs.
As a result of the meeting, important resolutions and decisions were adopted, and the chairmanship of the BSECO was transferred from the Republic of Tajikistan to Albania.
