BSEC parliament speakers to discuss cooperation in Athens

Athens, June 9 (Itar-Tass) -- The parliament speakers of the member-countries of the Organisation of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC) will meet here on Monday to discuss the achievements and prospects of interparliamentary cooperation in the enlarged Black Sea region. State Duma Deputy Speaker Valery Yazev will represent Russia at the forum. The lawmakers will adopt a declaration on the 15th anniversary of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organisation of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (PABSEC). Then Greek President Karolos Papoulias will receive the BSEC parliament speakers. The Parliamentary Assembly, which was founded in 1993 as the parliamentary dimension of the Organisation of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation, marks its 15th anniversary in 2008. For these years the PABSEC has taken decisive steps to guarantee a consistent legislative and political support to the BSEC activity focusing its efforts on the priority issues for multilateral economic cooperation. The PABSEC plays an important role in forging the parliamentary dialogue aimed at shaping a common position on cooperation and the development of democracy, the supremacy of law, the pluralistic society and a free market economy. The PABSEC brings together members of the parliaments from the 12 BSEC states - Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Georgia, Greece, Moldova, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Turkey and Ukraine. The lawmakers from Belarus, Egypt, Israel, Slovakia, France and Germany have the status of observers in the PABSEC.