Turkey to continue support for Black Sea bloc: FM Çavuşoğlu

Turkey reiterated on Friday its ongoing financial and technical support for the activities of the Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC).

Speaking at the 39th meeting of the organization's Foreign Ministers' council in Baku, capital of term chair Azerbaijan, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu called on members to take active part in bloc's activities and fulfil financial obligations.

"We will continue our joint efforts to transform our region into a zone of peace, stability and prosperity," Çavuşoğlu said.

He added that Turkey expects members to provide technical support for the working groups of the organization.

Citing progress in various projects on agriculture and trade as well as the functioning of BSEC, Çavuşoğlu thanked Ambassador Michael B. Christides, the Secretary General of the Permanent International Secretariat of the bloc, for his efforts and Azerbaijan for its term chairmanship.

He wished success for Bulgaria as the organization's next term chair.

Headquartered in Istanbul, the Black Sea Economic Cooperation Organization was established in 1992 with the aim of acting in a spirit of friendship and good neighborliness and enhancing mutual respect and confidence, dialogue and cooperation among the member states.

The group has 12 members; Turkey, Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Georgia, Greece, Moldova, Romania, Russia, Serbia, and Ukraine.