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Lavrov points to degrading situation in Black Sea region

It is important to turn the Black Sea region into a zone of peace, stability and prosperity, the minister said

BAKU, December 14. /TASS/. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov believes that the situation in the Black Sea region has recently deteriorated.

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"In the quarter-century of its existence, the BSEC developed as a popular regional venue," he said, speaking at a foreign ministerial meeting of the Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC). "Its further success will depend on how pragmatically we will be able to build up our cooperation. Unfortunately, the situation in the Black Sea region degraded recently."

"It is important to reverse this trend and work to turn the Black Sea region into a zone of peace, stability and prosperity," Lavrov went on. "I am confident that the organization should not serve as a scene for political struggles, let alone score-setting."

The Russian foreign minister reiterated that the BSEC chiefly deals with economic issues, and the organization’s mandate should be respected. "It is the guarantee of the BSEC’s capability to support the development of integration ties," Lavrov added.

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