Speaker of the GNAT, Mustafa Şentop, in his speech at the summit organized under the title of ‘Common Geography, Common Vision, Common Future’, conveyed his condolences to the Speaker of Serbian National Assembly, Vladimir Orlic, for the armed attack on a primary school in Serbia yesterday, and said, ‘I am deeply saddened by the fact that our children, who are the angels of the earth, are the targets of such brutal events. I share Serbia's pain and mourning.’

Şentop stated that they held the Black Sea Economic Cooperation Member States Summit of Speaker and the PABSEC General Assembly, which is one of the most rooted cooperation mechanisms in the Black Sea Region, he said that choosing the topic of the summit as "Common Geography, Common Vision, Common Future" would be beneficial in terms of discussing both the issues on their common agenda and the future of the region.

Stating that the Black Sea is not just a sea, but that it deeply affects and shapes the nations, languages, culture, politics, history and destiny of the people of the region, Şentop emphasized that the biggest problem of the Black Sea is the wars, and he told that more than a year has passed since the war between Russia and Ukraine, and left behind hundreds of thousands of dead, wounded and devastated cities, millions of people displaced from their homes and homes, and a completely paralyzed Black Sea.

Şentop said, ‘As Türkiye, we strongly support Ukraine's independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders. Likewise, we care about the territorial integrity of our other members Georgia, Moldova and Azerbaijan and expect their demands to be met.  We heartfelt belief that peace in the Black Sea can only be ensured in this way.’

At the 60th General Assembly held in Serbia, Şentop reminded his saying, ‘Wars are fought on the field and with weapons, but they are ended at the table and with the pen. Now it's time to go back to the table and take up the pen.’ He indicated that these words are still valid.

Speaker of the GNAT, Şentop emphasized that Türkiye, which can establish a dialogue between Ukraine and Russia, is ready to host all kinds of ceasefire and peace talks and to gather the parties at the same table, and added, ‘Both our role in the Black Sea grain agreement, our role in prisoner exchange agreements and our role in humanitarian corridors are proof that we have enough experience and knowledge on this subject. On the occasion of this meeting, I once again call on the parties for a ceasefire and invite them to a lasting peace.’

Stating that he draws attention to this fact in every meeting he attends, wherever he goes, including in Western countries, Şentop says that the hypocritical attitude should be stopped, and mentioned that he received positive reactions from many Western politicians.

Mustafa Şentop stated that as the Black Sea countries, they should also pay attention to the secret supporters of the war, and not to be provoked by those who profit from the war, and said, "This is exactly what Türkiye does. As always, Türkiye clearly reveals his attitude in favor of right, righteousness and justice."

At the end of the meeting, the Speakers and the representatives of the delegations of the member states were presented the PABSEC Medal of Honour, and a family photo was taken.

In his opening speech at the summit, PABSEC Secretary General, Asaf Hajiyev pointed out the importance of the Black Sea region for world politics today, saying that it is a bridge and intersection point between Asia and Europe.

Thanking the Speaker of the GNAT, Mustafa Şentop for the General Assembly and the Summit, Hajiyev stated that this event was the second physical meeting after the Kovid-19 outbreak.

After the inauguration address, Parlamentarians representing Serbia, North Macedonia and Azerbaijan took the floor.

Speaker of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia, Vladimir Orlic stated that they are in great pain due to the armed attack on a primary school in Belgrade yesterday and thanked the Speaker of the GNAT, Mustafa Şentop and other speakers for their condolences.

Stating that the Black Sea region is in a very complex and geopolitical position, Orlic said, ‘That's why it's so important to have stability and peace for everyone in this region. The PABSEC is more important than ever because even in these complicated times we can come together and meet, we can strengthen cooperation. That's the purpose of our organization.’

Speaker of North Macedonian Parliament, Talat Caferi pointed out that Russia's war on Ukraine is a fundamental security issue in the Black Sea region, and said, ‘(Russia) It also violates international law. The PABSEC has voiced its condemnation of Russia at this point and called on Russia to immediately cease its military operations in Ukraine. It called for his forces to withdraw and to respect Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity. At this point, the General Assembly took a very strong stance against this attitude of Russia and supported the government in Ukraine with its efforts to restore peace and stability in the region.’

In his speech, Deputy Speaker of Azerbaijan Milli Majlis, Ali Hüseyinli said, ‘The PABSEC, established 30 years ago for the needs of the vast Black Sea region, has been a serious initiative towards the realization of the ideals of peace, stability and cooperation.’

Emphasizing that the increasing role of the Black Sea in world politics and economy brought the importance of the Black Sea family to the agenda, Hüseyinli noted that Azerbaijan attaches great importance to these relations.

Hüseyinli said, ‘Azerbaijan has drawn the new economic map of our region and Europe with its energy projects. Azerbaijan has suffered from Armenian occupation for more than 30 years. Finally, in the Homeland War in 2020, Karabakh was liberated from occupation and historical justice was achieved.’