Asaf Hajiyev

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65th Plenary Session of the PABSEC General Assembly, Baku, 18-19 June 2025

The 65th Plenary Session of the PABSEC General Assembly was held in Baku on 18-19 June 2025 upon the invitation of the Milli Majlis of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

On 18 June, the participants of the Plenary Session visited the Victory Park and the grave of the National Leader of Azerbaijan, Heydar Aliyev, and laid flowers.

The Opening ceremony was addressed by Ms. Sahiba Gafarova, PABSEC President, Chairperson of the Milli Majlis of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

Ms. Nataliya Kiselova, President of the National Assembly of the Republic of Bulgaria and Mr. Afrim Gashi, President of the Assembly of the Republic of North Macedonia took part in the opening as Special guests and addressed the participants. Mr. Asaf Hajiyev, PABSEC Secretary General, also delivered an opening speech.

Parliamentary delegations from Albania, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Georgia, Greece, North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Türkiye and Ukraine took part in the General Assembly. Representatives of the Permanent International Secretariat of the Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC PERMIS), the Black Sea Trade and Development Bank (BSTDB), the Union of Road Transport Associations of the BSEC Member States (BSEC-URTA), and Special PABSEC Representatives took part in the work of the General Assembly.

Representatives of the Interparliamentary Assembly of the Member States of the Commonwealth of Independent States (IPA CIS), the Parliamentary Assembly of the Turkic States (TURKPA), the Regional Secretariat for Parliamentary Cooperation in South-East Europe (RSPC SEE) took part in the work of the General Assembly, as observers. Representatives of the Marmara Group Foundation for Strategic and Social Research took part in the work of the General Assembly as guests.

The Assembly approved the Progress Report of the Assembly and the Minutes of the Sixty-Fourth Plenary Session, ratified the credentials of the new members of the Assembly from Bulgaria, Georgia, Greece, Romania and Serbia.

The Assembly elected Ms. Sofia Voultepsi, Head of the PABSEC Greek Delegation, Ms. Blagica Lasovska, Head of the PABSEC Delegation of the Republic of North Macedonia, Ms. Anna Purtova, Head of the PABSEC Ukrainian Delegation as PABSEC Vice-Presidents for the term of two years. The Assembly also elected Mr. Eldar Guliyev, Head of the PABSEC Azerbaijani Delegation to the post of PABSEC Vice-President in charge of Financial Matters, for the term of two years.

The Assembly approved the Auditing Report for 2024 and adopted a Decision on the work of the Draft Budget and Auditing Commission.

The Assembly took note of the information on the activities of the BSEC Organization presented by Ambassador Lazar Comanescu, Secretary General of the Permanent International Secretariat of the Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC PERMIS). Representatives of the BSEC Related Bodies, parliamentary assemblies and international organizations addressed the Plenary Session.

The Assembly had a General Debate on "Strengthening Connectivity and Enhancing Mobility in the BSEC Region through Smart and Sustainable Transport Infrastructure". The Assembly adopted Report and Recommendation 202/2025 "Towards a Greener Future: Cooperation for Technology Solutions in the Black Sea Region" within the framework of the Committee on Economic and Development Policy; Report and Recommendation 203/2025 "International Cooperation in the Fight against Organized Crime in the BSEC Region" within the framework of the Committee on Legal Affairs and International Cooperation; Report and Recommendation 204/2025 "Current Strategies and Practices for Advancing Education and Employment for People with Disabilities in the BSEC Region" within the framework of the Committee on Social and Humanitarian Policy.

The rotation of the PABSEC Presidency from the Milli Majlis of the Republic of Azerbaijan to the National Assembly of the Republic of Bulgaria took place. Ms. Nataliya Kiselova, President of the National Assembly of the Republic of Bulgaria expressed gratitude to Ms. Sahiba Gafarova, Chairperson of the Milli Majlis of the Republic of Azerbaijan for the successful PABSEC Presidency and awarded her the PABSEC Medal of Honour in recognition of her contribution to the activities of PABSEC.

On 19 June, the participants visited the Karabakh region of Azerbaijan, where they were acquainted with the historical and cultural landmarks of the cities of Shusha and Khankendi, as well as the restoration and reconstruction efforts currently underway.

The next General Assembly will take place in Sofia in November 2025.