PABSEC has always been an important regional pillar of inter-parliamentary cooperation. Today its role is more relevant than ever, - stated Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili during his speech at the 67th Plenary Session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation Organization (PABSEC).

According to him, the Black Sea region is at a critical stage.

“Ongoing geopolitical processes, growing economic uncertainty, and new technological transformations are changing both our region and the broader international order. In conditions where global organizations fail to ensure peace, cooperation, and stability, regional formats such as PABSEC have a unique opportunity to unite us around the protection of our common pragmatic interests, which our parliaments express on behalf of our peoples,” Papuashvili stated.

He assessed that parliamentary assemblies are particularly sensitive to the political preferences of their citizens and voters and are therefore better informed about the priorities set by the population.

“We value each other’s peace and security far more than external forces, especially in the context of significant geopolitical upheavals triggered by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine more than four years ago. This has had a direct impact on the entire Black Sea region, turning it into one of the most important focal points of world politics.

Even in this difficult situation, geopolitics should serve the economic interests of our peoples, and not the other way around. Therefore, PABSEC must maintain a clear focus on the development of economic cooperation, trade, and connectivity - in other words, on people’s well-being. The wise founders of BSEC and subsequently PABSEC made ‘economy’ the cornerstone of our organization’s mission, which is also reflected in the name of the organization itself. When international powers use international organizations as instruments for their narrow political interests and put geopolitics ahead of people, they harm peace, security, and stability.

This is exactly what causes economic stagnation - ignoring people’s needs in favor of geopolitical games. Such games also deepen the divide between elites and the people, which ultimately leads to the loss of public support for adventurous leaders and their governments and promotes radicalization as the main foundation of political polarization,” Shalva Papuashvili stated.