The head of Armenian delegation to the BSEC Parliamentary Assembly, member of the ruling Republican Party (RPA) Gagik Minasyan stated the Armenian delegation will keep on blocking the granting of observer status to Turkic states at the BSEC PA as long as Azerbaijan and Turkey retain their stance on the issues of importance for Armenia.

Speaker of the Azerbaijani Parliament appealed to the BSEC PA for granting observer status. However, Armenia opposed the initiative. Under the regulations, if the head of any delegation opposes any proposal, the issue is removed from the agenda. Minasyans statement aroused panic amid the Azerbaijani and Turkish delegations.

During the discussions, Minasyan said Ankara and Baku will be far from getting observer status until they change their position on the key issues.

Turkey, Azerbaijan and Russia introduced a draft resolution, condemning the Israeli military aggression and blockade of the Gaza Strip. Before the vote the members of Armenian delegation proposed adding a paragraph condemning blockade of any country by another. However, the proposal was not approved.