November 20, 2009 - 20:15 AMT
Black Sea Peacebuilding Platform discussed in Yerevan
The National Citizens' Initiative (NCI) and the Analytical Centre on Globalization and Regional Cooperation (ACGRC) today held, at the NCI headquarters, a working discussion devoted to the start of the Armenia Initiative of the Black Sea Peacebuilding Platform (BSPP). The event brought together Armenian NGOs representatives, analysts and experts. 
At the beginning of the roundtable, its organizers briefly presented the history behind the founding of the BSPP. They noted that the initiative toward forming this Platform had started in October 28-31, when civil society conflict resolution experts from Yerevan, Baku, Tbilisi, Chişinău, Bucharest, Kyiv, Stepanakert, and Tiraspol had met at the Romanian capital Bucharest. It was already decided during this meeting that the Platform will permanently function in all the countries of the Black Sea Region and will attempt to contribute, by way of continuous discourse and cooperation, to the pacific resolution of all existing regional conflicts, and to share expertise in peacebuilding.  

During the discussion held at NCI headquarters, the attendees underscored the need to unite and coordinate the efforts by all of the region's civil societies that seek the building and consolidation of peace in the Black Sea Region. To this end, the discussants expressed their readiness to become a part of the BSPP's Armenia Initiative.  

In closing, the roundtable participants decided to continue their working discussions and to hold other events toward strengthening the BSPP's Armenia Initiative.