Working Visit of Mr. Asaf Hajiyev, PABSEC Secretary General, to Ukraine, 18-19 November 2021
On 18-19 November 2021, Mr. Asaf Hajiyev, PABSEC Secretary General, paid a working visit to the capital of Ukraine, Kyiv, and had meetings in the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine and the Government.
During the meeting with Mr. Ruslan Stefanchuk, Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, topical issues of cooperation in the Wider Black Sea Region were discussed. The Chairman noted the role and importance of regional cooperation and expressed interest in strengthening economic interaction among the BSEC member states. The PABSEC Secretary General noted the contribution of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine and the PABSEC Ukrainian delegation to the work of the Assembly, informed the Chairman about the current activities of the Assembly and its Committees and discussed the possibility of holding a meeting of one of the PABSEC Committees in Ukraine in 2022.
During the meeting with Mr. Olexander Merezhko, Chairman of the Committee of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine on Foreign Policy and Interparliamentary Cooperation, the possibilities of parliamentary cooperation in the Black Sea region were discussed. The PABSEC Secretary General informed the Chairman of the Committee about the PABSEC activities and about the forthcoming PABSEC General Assembly, which will be held online, on 22 November.
During the meeting with Ms. Anna Purtova, Head of the PABSEC Ukrainian Delegation, and the members of the Delegation, Mr. Akhtem Chiyhoz, Ms. Yulia Klymenko, Mr. Ivan Kyrylenko, Mr. Olexii Movchan, Mr. Mykola Skoryk, and Mr. Olexander Furman,Secretary of the Delegation, First Deputy Head of the Department for Inter-Parliamentary Relations of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, noted the important role of parliamentary cooperation and parliamentary diplomacy. The organizational issues of the forthcoming 58th PABSEC General Assembly, as well as the future activities of the PABSEC Committees, were discussed. The PABSEC Ukrainian delegation assured the Secretary General of further support for the activities of the Assembly.
During the meeting with Mr. Dmytro Senik, Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, the PABSEC Secretary General briefly informed on the current and future activities of the PABSEC. The importance of strengthening the cooperation among the BSEC member states in various areas of the economy was noted. The meeting was also attended by Ms. Anna Purtova, Head of the PABSEC Ukrainian Delegation.
Mr. Asaf Hajiyev, PABSEC Secretary General, met with Mr. Andrii Sybiha, Deputy Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, former Ambassador of Ukraine to the Republic of Turkey. The Secretary General expressed gratitude for Ukraine's support in strengthening inter-parliamentary relations in the Black Sea region and provided information on the current activities of the PABSEC and future plans.