Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Terens Quick attended the 38th Meeting of the Council of Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the member states of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC), which took place in Yerevan, under the Armenian Chairmanship.
In his intervention at the morning session, Mr. Quick noted, among other things, that “Greece has repeatedly stressed that BSEC Council Meetings must focus on our goal. We must talk about our economic cooperation. There are other fora, other bodies, where we can (and should) discuss any political differences between BSEC member states. We shouldn’t waste time when we have work to do on developing the Black Sea region, which positively affects the whole Balkan region, including Greece, of course.
To achieve this development, we must first and foremost plan and carry out major infrastructure projects, like the Black Sea ring road and maritime transport in the region. Infrastructure that will boost commerce, transportation and investments in the tourism sector.
We also need to make the most of the funding tool created by Russia, in close cooperation with the Black Sea Trade and Development Bank (BSTDB) and the BSEC Permanent Secretariat, with the main aim of funding actions that will bolster SMEs.”
On the margins of the Council, Mr. Quick had talks with the Armenian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Zohrab Mnatsakanyan, the Armenian Deputy Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Messrs. Garen Nazarian and Ruben Rubinyan, Azeri Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Mahmud Guliyev, and Russian Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Aleksandr Pankin.
In his intervention at the morning session, Mr. Quick noted, among other things, that “Greece has repeatedly stressed that BSEC Council Meetings must focus on our goal. We must talk about our economic cooperation. There are other fora, other bodies, where we can (and should) discuss any political differences between BSEC member states. We shouldn’t waste time when we have work to do on developing the Black Sea region, which positively affects the whole Balkan region, including Greece, of course.
To achieve this development, we must first and foremost plan and carry out major infrastructure projects, like the Black Sea ring road and maritime transport in the region. Infrastructure that will boost commerce, transportation and investments in the tourism sector.
We also need to make the most of the funding tool created by Russia, in close cooperation with the Black Sea Trade and Development Bank (BSTDB) and the BSEC Permanent Secretariat, with the main aim of funding actions that will bolster SMEs.”
On the margins of the Council, Mr. Quick had talks with the Armenian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Zohrab Mnatsakanyan, the Armenian Deputy Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Messrs. Garen Nazarian and Ruben Rubinyan, Azeri Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Mahmud Guliyev, and Russian Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Aleksandr Pankin.
June 27, 2018