Georgia has assumed the chairmanship of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (PABSEC) and the Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC). The relevant decision was made at the 66th PABSEC General Assembly in Bulgaria.

The event in Sofia is being attended by the Speaker of the Parliament of Georgia, Shalva Papuashvili. As he stated during his speech at the session, Georgia’s chairmanship of PABSEC will focus on developing connectivity, promoting economic cooperation and strengthening parliamentary diplomacy.

“We believe that dialogue and cooperation lead to stability, and stability promotes development. It is in this spirit that Georgia assumes the chairmanship of PABSEC and, as well, BSEC. We do this with a great sense of responsibility and a strong determination to contribute to the implementation of the Assembly’s mission,” Papuashvili said.

According to Shalva Papuashvili, initiatives such as the Black Sea submarine power cable, fiber-optic cable, and Black Sea ferry service could play a transformative role in the field of connectivity.

“We believe that connectivity – physical, digital, economic and human – should be one of the central pillars of our cooperation. In this context, the Middle Corridor has become an important route for connectivity, fast, efficient and secure. We are ready to develop infrastructure, relevant policies and partnerships that will increase its capacity and competitiveness. Flagship initiatives such as the Black Sea submarine power cable, the fiber optic cable and the Black Sea ferry services can play a game-changer role in the field of connectivity. We are determined to accelerate the implementation of these initiatives.

I would also like to take this opportunity to thank the BSEC Project Development Fund (PDF) for funding the joint Georgia-Turkey-Bulgaria project “Blue Port Index for BSEC Countries”, which was officially launched in September. We strongly support this project, as we see its potential in terms of increasing the efficiency of Black Sea ports.

Georgia’s chairmanship will focus on developing connectivity, promoting economic cooperation and strengthening parliamentary diplomacy,” said Shalva Papuashvili.

The Speaker of the Georgian Parliament stressed the importance of close cooperation with PABSEC member states.

“We are ready to use the power of parliamentary diplomacy to make our region stand out in terms of cooperation and opportunities,” said Shalva Papuashvili.