"Unfortunately, the situation in the Black Sea Region has recently degraded. It is important to reverse this trend and work on turning the Black Sea Region into a zone of peace, stability, and prosperity… I believe that the organization should not be a platform for political rows and score-settling. The BSEC is clearly focused on economics, and its status should be respected. This is the mainstay of BSEC ability to contribute to integrative ties development", Lavrov said at the BSEC Council of Ministers, currently underway in the Armenian capital of Baku.
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The BSEC is a full-fledged regional economic organisation, established in March 1994, which includes 12 countries. The main aspect of its activities is the development of small and medium-sized enterprises in the member countries.