Georgia, Turkey and Azerbaijan refuse from PABSEC Honorary Medals: Speaker of Armenia’s Parliament urges not to politicize the issue

During the plenary session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (PABSEC) in Yerevan on November 27 some of the delegates refused from the Assembly’s Honorary Medals.

“The constructive position of the parliaments of the structure’s member states opens a broad path for the productive activities of the PABSEC”, PABSEC Secretary General Asaf Hajiyev said during the session.

Thereafter, the awarding ceremony of PABSEC Honorary Medals was scheduled, but the representative of the Georgian delegation announced that the delegation head refuses from the Medal without providing any comment. Head of the Turkish delegation Cemal Ozturk also refused from the Medal. “I think I do not have an honor to receive that Medal”, he said.

PABSEC Secretary General Asaf Hajiyev said the head of the Turkish delegation refuses from the Medal because he hasn’t received a mandate yet. Head of the Azerbaijani delegation Eldar Guliyev also announced that he is working at the structure for just two years and cannot receive such a Medal.

Speaker of the Parliament of Armenia Ara Babloyan received a Medal. Commenting on the aforementioned announcements, Babloyan said he understands their decision. He told reporters that he has discussed with the Secretary General the issue that it is necessary to give Medals to the heads of the delegations who chaired the delegation for many years.

“But our approach is different. By mentioning the name of the head of the delegation we hand over the Medal to the delegation, because we give it on the occasion of the 25th anniversary”, Babloyan said, adding that he agreed with Hajiyev to give the Medals to all. “And later the organization has an opportunity to separately award those for long-lasting work who currently are no longer heads, but chaired the delegation for many years. Armenia and I, as the organizer of this Assembly, are honest and ready to award all. Of course, all those who refused from the Medals, in fact they rejected their delegations to have that pleasure”, Babloyan said.

As for Turkey’s step Babloyan said that the head of the delegation was an acting head, therefore he found out that only the head can accept the Medal. “But as for Azerbaijan and Georgia, let them say why they refused. They stated that they have worked a short period of time and do not deserve a Medal. But we were ready to award”, Ara Babloyan noted.

He said he would not like to politicize this issue as this structure must deal with economic cooperation issues. “We have regional issues, if we politicize this issue, they can undermine our main goals in terms of economic and commercial relations”, he said.

Ara Babloyan informed that the head of the Ukrainian delegation was invited for the session, but couldn’t attend due to personal reasons.