Azernews.Az

By Gulgiz Dadashova

An international forum of think-tanks of the Organization of Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC) member states kicked off in Baku on May 17.

The two-day forum on the topic "East-West Strategic Bridge: Security, Development and Integration in the BSEC Region" was organized by the Center for Strategic Studies (CSS) under the Azerbaijani President.

Addressing the forum, head of the Presidential Administration's Political Analysis and Information Provision Department, Elnur Aslanov, said that Azerbaijan is a major transport corridor connecting the East and West and it is very difficult to implement regional projects without Azerbaijan.

Azerbaijan is becoming a center of political and economic as well as inter-religious and intercultural debates, Aslanov said, adding that the country accounts for 75 percent of the economy and 65 percent of the population in the South Caucasus region.

Speaking about the situation in the South Caucasus and Black Sea countries, Aslanov said that Armenia has turned into an area of separatist tendencies.

"Armenia has become a state playing the role of a cancerous tumor in the South Caucasus. Transportation of drugs and weapons here are not controlled by the international community. Therefore, it is inevitable that sooner or later Armenia will collapse," he said.

Touching upon the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Aslanov said that the Armenian armed forces must withdraw from the occupied Azerbaijani territories, in line with the four relevant UN resolutions.

"We would like Armenia to become a state making efforts in establishing peace and stability in the region. But there are difficulties in this regard. Nevertheless, we hope for a peaceful solution of the conflict. If it does not happen, Azerbaijan has extensive opportunities stipulated by international law to liberate its territories," he said.

Director of the Center for Strategic Studies Farhad Mammadov said that the forum will address very important issues.

Mammadov said Azerbaijan is on the path of global integration, and the Center is implementing various projects in this direction.

Speaking about the BSEC region, he said that a number of developments over the past few years have transformed the Black Sea region into the spotlight of international institutions.

"The expansion of the EU and NATO in the Black Sea region increased attention of these institutions towards it. Natural resources, which the region possesses, transportation, and the region's geo-strategic location on the trade routes in Eurasia increase its value. Growing demand for energy resources of the region, its growing importance as a transport corridor increase the necessity of exploitation and transportation of these resources, and the implementation of regional infrastructure projects for the transport of goods and services between Asia and Europe. Realization of these projects, in turn, means the inflow of large foreign investment into the region. Thus, each of the above createsfavorable conditions for the expansion of bilateral and multilateral political and economic cooperation among the countries of the Black Sea regionand the promotion of regional integration," he said.

Along with distinguished features, Mammadov said there are threats to the development of the region, as well as problems that may hinder it.

"To bring the level of political and economic cooperation and integration in the Black Sea region to a desired level the conflicts in the region should be settled, and problems such as economic and political instability should be resolved," he said.

The international forum, which brings together 20 think thanks from 11 countries, will be continued with panel discussions and end on May 18.

During the forum, the leading experts representing the think tanks of the BSEC member states, as well as representatives from the public and private sectors will have the opportunity to discuss topics such as bilateral and multilateral relations in the Black Sea region, issues of transport, energy, regional projects, security issues, and issues of political and economic integration.