Participation of the PABSEC International Secretariat in the 29th Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference (BSPC) – Vision 2030: Acting for the Future of the Baltic Sea Region, 24 August 2020
On 24 August 2020, Mr. Asaf Hajiyev, PABSEC Secretary General, and Mr. Miltiadis Makrygiannis, PABSEC Deputy Secretary General, attended the 29th Meeting of the Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference (BSPC), in the online format.
Under the “Vision 2030: Acting for the Future of the Baltic Sea Region”, the participants discussed the following issues, in three sessions:
- Cooperation in the Baltic Sea Region, Safe and Prosperous Development – Common Effective and Sustainable Solutions for the Future
- Safeguarding our Environment, Seas and Oceans for Future Generations
- Migration and Integration: Finding Common Solutions Based on Mutual Information and Best Practices
The 29th BSPC was attended by more than 150 participants. The Conference was chaired by Mr. Valerijus Simulik, President of the Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference.
At the opening of the Conference, on behalf of H. E. Mr. Gitanas Nausėda, President of the Republic of Lithuania, Mr. Sigitas Mitkus, Adviser to the President on Foreign Policy Issues welcomed the participants and underlined the importance of strengthening the cooperation in the Baltic Sea Region.
In his speech, Mr. Viktoras Pranckietis, Speaker of the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania, emphasized the importance of the cooperation in the Baltic Sea Region in order to ensure a sustainable development in this region. He expressed the hope that the Region will remain an area of peaceful cooperation, based on the rule of law and human rights.
Mr. Virginijus Sinkevičius, European Commissioner for Environment, Oceans and Fisheries, expressed his strong belief that the cooperation among the countries of the region should be strengthened, in order to improve the environmental situation of the Baltic Sea.
The participants also discussed the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic, its effects on various policy areas, and the measures that have to be taken in order to face the crisis.
Mr. Valerijus Simulik, President of the Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference, noted the importance of enhancing the joint regional action for attaining the overall development and to this end stressed the importance of interaction with the Black Sea Region. He called on parliamentarians towards a closer cooperation for solving common problems.
In his intervention, Mr. Asaf Hajiyev expressed his thanks for the invitation to this digital event and underlined the close cooperation between the PABSEC and the BSPC. He referred to the Joint Meeting of the Standing Committees of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation and the Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference on the topic “Safeguarding our Oceans and Marine Life” that took place in Istanbul, in April 2019 and expressed his satisfaction and gratitude concerning the organization of the next joint session of the Standing Committees in Stockholm, on 15-16 November 2020. He also informed the participants that the PABSEC has decided to discuss, during the coming committees meetings, the role of the national parliaments in combating the pandemic, in particular, political, economic and social aspects.