EU Commission chief Prodi heads to strategic Caucasus region

Agence France Presse — English
September 16, 2004 Thursday

BAKU Sept 16 — European Commission President Romano Prodi was due
to arrive in Azerbaijan Thursday at the start of a three-day visit
to the south Caucasus, a strategic region where Moscow and Washington
compete for influence.

Prodi is scheduled to have talks with officials in oil-rich Azerbaijan
before flying on to neighbouring Georgia, scene of last year’s dramatic
“rose revolution.” He will round off his tour with a visit to Armenia.

The European Union’s top official said the aim of his visit was to
promote democracy, strengthen links with the EU and help resolve
lingering conflicts in the region, which was previously part of the
Soviet Union.

“This first-ever visit by a European Commission president highlights
the EU’s interest in the region,” Prodi said ahead of the trip.

“My visit is intended to send the important message that the EU is
fully committed to supporting the Southern Caucasus countries as they
work to build stable societies based on democratic values.”

Western governemnts have a strong interest in the region, which is
set to become a crossroads for transporting oil and gas supplies
from the Caspian Sea, home to some of the world’s biggest untapped
hydrocarbon reserves.

However, Russia, the former imperial power in the region, is also a
key player.

There are three unresolved armed conflicts in the region — between
Georgia and separatists in South Ossetia and Abkazia and between
Armenia and Azerbaijan over the enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh.

Some in the region accuse Moscow of fanning the conflicts to preserve
its influence in the south Caucasus.

In June, Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia were admitted to the EU’s
European Neighbourhood Policy, a scheme designed to build bridges
between the EU and the countries on its periphery.

Prodi’s term as European Commission President ends on November
1. He will be succeeded by Portuguese Prime Minister Jose Manuel
Durao Barroso.