Górecki Greets the Inaugural Session of the SEECP Parliamentary Assembly in Bucharest

“We in the BSPC congratulate you on your important decision to establish permanent structures for parliamentary cooperation in South-Eastern Europe. We wish you all success in your forthcoming efforts to develop efficient instruments and methods for your activities” said Ryszard Górecki, President of the BSPC, in his address to the inaugural session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the South-East Europe Cooperation Process, which took place in Bucharest 10-11 June. “Parliamentary cooperation can contribute to democratic, transparent and inclusive political processes. People-to-people contacts constitute the basis for political and socio-economic development”, he emphasized. “It is therefore important to involve civil society, NGOs, and – not least – youth in the political cooperation structures and processes. A central part in the development of an organization is to build networks and confidence. Many of the issues and challenges facing a political organization are complex and have different repercussions for different countries. A parliamentary forum can provide an arena where diverging views are brought to the surface for a candid political debate,” Górecki stated. “Good, sincere and reliable relations contribute to an open and permissive atmosphere in which members can debate conflicting positions in a constructive manner, and also rejoice at joint achievements. That, in my opinion, is a fundamental condition for finding compromises and moving forward towards joint solutions.” The South-East European Cooperation Process (SEECP) was founded in 1997, upon Bulgarian initiative, and aimed at establishing a new forum of regional cooperation after the emergence of new independent states on the territory of the former Yugoslavia. The importance of parliamentary dialogue among SEECP countries is mentioned in the Charter on Good Neighbourly Relations, Stability, Security and Cooperation in Southeastern Europe, signed in Bucharest in 2000. At the meeting in Bucharest on 10 May 2014, the Speakers of Parliaments of the SEECP countries decided to launch a SEECP Parliamentary Assembly equipped with procedural rules and an organizational support structure.