BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 16. Middle Corridor is among the economically viable routes for deepening regional collaboration, BSEC Secretary General, Ambassador Lazar Comanescu said in an exclusive interview with TurkicWorld.
“Safe and economically viable routes are necessary for deepening collaboration with regions worldwide, and the Middle Corridor is one of them. It is a shorter way favorable also in terms of climatic conditions. BSEC welcomes any initiative enhancing interconnectivity, as well as high-efficiency and high-trusted routes connecting the BSEC region with the rest of the world,” he said.
As for the BSEC`s role in support of enhancing connectivity, Comanescu mentioned that the new “BSEC Economic Agenda” which is BSEC’s strategic framework document, includes harmonization of customs, transport and logistics standards as priority areas for cooperation.
“We have specific working groups there for, which regularly convene to consider matters of shared interests and ways to tackle them. As one of the founding members of our organization the Republic of Azerbaijan is actively participating in the work of these working groups contributing to the sustainability of the region,” said the secretary general.
Talking about the Black Sea Submarine Cable project, which envisages transportation of green energy to Europe, Comanescu noted that it is the most welcome initiative.
“The fact that three BSEC Member States, namely Azerbaijan, Georgia and Romania are actors in this significant project proves once again the importance of BSEC and the Black Sea region in terms of energy production, energy security and interconnectivity. That explains why energy is among the major areas of cooperation of BSEC Organization and Goal 4 of the BSEC Economic Agenda refers to the Sustainable Energy and Development of the Black Sea Energy Market. This includes promoting the development of projects on interconnection of electric power systems of the BSEC Member States, as well as enhancing further cooperation with the EU in the area of energy,” he added.
Comanescu went on to add that BSEC follows closely the global trends, needs, priorities and commitments.
“It proceeds in line with the UN SDGs and the BSEC Economic Agenda and adapts itself to the new realities of the world. We believe that environmentally friendly solutions create healthier communities and we proceed with this in mind. Investing in renewable energy is one of the musts in this regard. A key priority for BSEC defined by the BSEC Economic Agenda which is the “Sustainable Energy and Development of the Black Sea Energy Market”. Building upon the “BSEC Green Energy Strategy” which was adopted on June 2018 we are encouraging cooperation aimed at enhancing the contributions of renewable energy sources and energy efficiency improvements between the BSEC Member States in line with the vision of transforming the BSEC Region into a model for clean energy by the year 2050,” he said.
Comanescu noted that digitalization is another important issue that BSEC works on.
“Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), Energy, Tourism, Trade, and Transport are just few of the areas where joint projects on digital transformation, digital public infrastructure are being developed,” the secretary general added.
Comanescu pointed out that Azerbaijan is a major BSEC partner in all areas.
“BSEC has 19 areas of cooperation and is encouraging all Member States to be actively involved in all these areas. Definitely, Azerbaijan is an important transport, logistics and energy hub, with major connectivity projects either starting or passing through its territory but it is a major BSEC partner in all the other areas as well. Take for example climate and environment protection which culminated with Baku hosting in November 2024 the COP29. BSEC, upon invitation of the Government of Azerbaijan, participated, for the first time in this important UNFCCC event. Good governance and efficient delivery of public services is another area of important Azerbaijan contribution by coordinating the respective BSEC working group. Sharing the experience gained through the ASAN service center (State Agency for Public Service and Social Innovations under the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan) has been highly appreciated by the other BSEC member states. I have personally visited ASAN service center in Baku and got acquainted with its impressive system and the way it renders services. Tourism, Culture, Education, ICT, SMEs etc. are areas where further deepening of cooperation with Azerbaijan would benefit the Organization,” he said.
Further, the BSEC secretary general called for integrating connectivity, environmental protection, and green and blue economy principles into the regional planning.
“The present geopolitical landscape calls for concerted and coordinated action by all stakeholders if we wish to maximize the benefits of our efforts. BSEC is both ready and able to contribute to the implementation of the joint strategic goals. Multilateral cooperation needs to be reinforced, not weakened. We must integrate connectivity, environmental protection, and green and blue economy principles into our regional planning. We must support our scientific communities, maintain channels of communication, and expand research partnerships with all our European and international partners. Above all, we must ensure that the wider BSEC region is both beneficiary and contributor to such collective endeavors.
Our commitment remains firm: to work with all International and Regional Organizations and other Partners to ensure that the Black Sea is not a zone of risk, but a space of opportunity. Areas like connectivity, energy, climate, environmental protection, culture, tourism offer huge opportunities in this respect, as they are high on the agenda of most of these partners,” he explained.
Comanescu pointed out that BSEC is the only full-fledged and oldest regional economic intergovernmental organization in the wider Black Sea region.
“It is covering an area of high geo-political importance consisting of nearly 20 million km² and a market of some 350 million people. It is a unique and promising platform for regional and multilateral economic cooperation. It has Member States that are among the largest producers and exporters of various commodities around the world. Needless to mention other assets such as the historical sites and natural beauty of the region. On the other hand, our region has always been a challenging one throughout history. Several conflicts among its Member States at different times had a negative impact on the region’s economy. However, and despite such difficulties, dialogue was never interrupted. BSEC is the platform to unite the people of the Black Sea through promoting peace, stability and prosperity, as well as serving as an important forum for cooperation in a wide range of domains. We are convinced that a strong, stable and united region benefits all its inhabitants and I guess our countries are well aware of that. It should be always kept in mind that there is an important economic dimension of security, and that promoting and enhancing economic cooperation is a most valuable and efficient way to enhance security,” he concluded.
