The permanent committees of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Black Sea Economic Co-operation and the Baltic Assembly held a joint online meeting to discuss protection of the world’s seas and biodiversity, climatic changes and the COVID-19 pandemic on 2 December.

The Chairman of the Milli Majlis Chamber of Accounts and PABSEC Vice President Eldar Guliyev who opened the meeting wished the participants success and a positive impact from their efforts.

Mr Guliyev further remarked that even though the Baltic and the Black Sea regions were far apart geographically and had their different traditions, religions and cultures, they were still also bonded together with common interests and problems. The world has been battling against the COVID-19 pandemic for longer than a year now; great responsibility befalls the parliaments in such an age. The parliaments of the member-states of both Assemblies continue their work employing the modern technologies that are up to the new reality. The parliaments are implementing processes and steps to mitigate the economic and social consequences of the crisis caused by the spread of COVID-19. The serious public health challenges posed by the pandemic necessitate international collaboration and co-ordination of efforts at all the levels and, currently, only through close ties and mutual assistance can the countries reduce the hardness of the hits coming at them from the virus.

Mr Guliyev then emphasised that the globalisation processes dictated protection of the environment, which is an integral part of the planet’s population’s health and well-being. The PABSEC countries ought to start constructive dialogues with international organisations and the civic society in order to achieve palpable results. Purging polluted areas, aversion of environmental problems and elimination of negative impacts are the goals for achieving which it is imperative to pursue an efficient policy of environmental protection. Also, Mr Guliyev expressed a hope of a more rational and constructive co-operation between the PABSEC and the BA henceforth and wished all the countries good health and avoidance of unforeseeable consequences of any nature in their struggle against the coronavirus.

The President of the BA Pyry Niemi, the Swedish Minister of Foreign Affairs Ann Linde, the leader of the Turkish delegation to the PABSEC Cemal Öztürk, the leader of the Hellenic delegation to the PABSEC Simos Kedikoglou and the Director of Sciences at Stockholm University Baltic Sea Centre Christoph Humborg spoke at the meeting stating their views on the counter-pandemic endeavours and environmental protection efforts. Relevant expert opinions were heard; the current issues were discussed, too.

The online meeting was capped by the speech of the Member of the Romanian Parliament and Chairman of the PABSEC Economic, Commercial, Technological and Environmental Affairs Constantin-Cătălin Zamfira.

The Press and Public Relations Department
The Milli Majlis