Visit of Ambassador Faruk Kaymakci, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Turkey, to the PABSEC International Secretariat, Istanbul, 8 October 2021

On 8 October 2021, Ambassador Faruk Kaymakci, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Turkey, visited the PABSEC International Secretariat and met with Mr. Asaf Hajiyev, PABSEC Secretary General. The Deputy Minister was accompanied by Ambassador Esen Altug the Director General for Multilateral Economic Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Turkey.

The PABSEC Secretary General welcomed the distinguished guest to the PABSEC Headquarters and acquainted him with the structure of the PABSEC and the International Secretariat, as well as the specifics of the organizational work of the Parliamentary Assembly and the framework of cooperation with the BSEC Organization. The PABSEC Secretary General also informed the guest about the current and planned work of the Parliamentary Assembly and the preparatory work for the 58th PABSEC General Assembly to be held in Romania on 23-25 November 2021 and invited the Deputy Minister to this gathering. The PABSEC Secretary General stressed the constructive role of the leadership of the Republic of Turkey and the PABSEC Turkish Delegation in the work of the Assembly and especially emphasized the significance of the Turkish PABSEC Presidency in 2023, when the Assembly celebrates its 30th anniversary.

The Deputy Minister expressed his gratitude to the PABSEC Secretary General for the warm welcome and accepted the invitation of the Secretary General to the 58th PABSEC General Assembly. He came up with the opinion that it is necessary to gradually increase the interest of the peoples in the countries of the Wider Black Sea Region in the activities of the BSEC and the PABSEC. In this context a proposal was voiced to organize a sports tournament under the auspices of the PABSEC with the aim to popularize the activities of the PABSEC. The Deputy Minister assured the Secretary General of the support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Turkey to the activities of the Assembly and its International Secretariat.

The meeting was attended by Mr. Fuat Kucukaydin, PABSEC Deputy Secretary General, and Mr. Ali Ustundag, Administrative Officer of the PABSEC International Secretariat.