Türkiye on Thursday called on members of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (PABSEC) to make the organization more influential and efficient.
Parliament Speaker Mustafa Şentop arrived in Serbia's capital Belgrade to attend the 60th General Assembly of the organization to take over the presidency term.
Şentop said that it is necessary to cooperate internationally and regionally to tackle multilateral issues that countries cannot overcome alone or bilaterally.
"First of all, this organization, which we have implemented as a peace project, has not made any significant progress in contributing to regional peace over the past 30 years. ... The efforts made under the PABSEC prevented the strained relations between the countries from becoming more complex," Şentop said.
Şentop said that it is essential for the member countries to evaluate the developments around them from a comprehensive perspective and to produce rational and permanent solutions.
"Global-scale issues such as terrorism, extremism, immigration and economic turmoil are issues that concern all countries. Now we see much more clearly that the world is going through a much more difficult period today and this difficult period brings with it the need for an important transformation at both the global and regional levels," he explained.
Emphasizing that Türkiye has built its foreign policy based on peaceful, humanitarian and entrepreneurial aims, Şentop said: "We stand by the right and the just for every issue. We say yes to issues that are right, and no to those that are wrong, and we express our stance clearly. We stand for negotiation, peace and stability. In geography surrounded by conflict and instability, we are trying to create a zone of peace and prosperity around us."
Şentop called on the members to increase the international visibility of the PABSEC and make the organization more efficient and productive.
The assembly was chaired by the president of the National Assembly of Serbia, Vladimir Orlic.
Orlic, in his closing remarks, said that Türkiye will make a significant contribution to the PABSEC.
"I am confident that, as always, Türkiye will certainly make an incredible contribution to the PABSEC during its term presidency," Orlic Şentop said during his visit met with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Prime Minister Ana Brnabic.
Established in the late 1980s as a result of political transformations, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (PABSEC) aims for the nations of the Black Sea region to reemerge on the world scene.
Headquartered in Istanbul, the group has 13 members, Türkiye, Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Georgia, Greece, Moldova, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Ukraine and North Macedonia.
The group's aim is to support countries in the region and enhance mutual respect, confidence, dialogue and cooperation among the member states in the spirit of friendship.
The Black Sea has recently been undergoing turmoil due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Türkiye negotiated a prisoner swap between the warring countries. Likewise, Turkish mediation proved vital in facilitating the signing of a deal between Türkiye, the U.N., Russia and Ukraine in Istanbul to reopen certain Ukrainian ports to release grain that had been stuck for months because of the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war – a development that has been crucial in responding to a growing global food crisis.
Türkiye is one of the most active countries working to ensure a permanent cease-fire between Ukraine and Russia. Its delicately balanced act of assuming a role as a mediator by keeping communication channels with both warring sides open provides a glimmer of hope in diplomatic efforts to find a solution and achieve peace in the Ukraine crisis. With its unique position of having friendly relations with both Russia and Ukraine, Türkiye has won widespread appreciation for its push to end the war.
Since the beginning of the conflict, Ankara has offered to mediate between the two sides and host peace talks, underlining its support for Ukraine’s territorial integrity and sovereignty. While Ankara has opposed international sanctions designed to isolate Moscow, it also closed its straits to prevent some Russian vessels from crossing through them.
In a breakthrough, Russian and Ukrainian delegations met for peace talks in Istanbul on March 29. Türkiye also hosted the foreign ministers of Russia and Ukraine in Antalya in March.
