EU READY TO WORK WITH RUSSIA IN CAUCASUS
ANSA English Media Service
September 16, 2004
BRUSSELS
(ANSA) – BRUSSELS, September 16 – The European Union recognises the
important role of Russia in the Caucasus and the EU must be ready and
is ready to work with Moscow in finding a solution to the problems
in the area, the president of the European Commission, Romano Prodi
told Italian news agency ANSA on Thursday.
Prodi said that the terrible events in Beslan at the beginning of
the September showed that terrorism feeds on instability.
Prodi will leave on a mission to South Caucasus, where he will meet
major political leaders from the civil and religious society of
Azerbaijan, Georgia and Armenia.
Prodi’s trip, which ends on Sunday, has the objective of developing the
neighbouring policy that the EU intends to have with the countries at
the borders of the EU and in this case it would push itself further
because the area is a scene of grave turmoil. The recent history
of Azerbaijan, Armenia and Georgia is hovering between democratic
development and authoritarianism.
According to Prodi the EU can help these countries develop economically
and politically, by starting a dialogue with them, which it hopes
would be easier than what Russia and the USA can do, because they
have a more aggressive policy and stronger interests.
The president of the EC reminded that these countries have energy
products and that they are economically important because they are
situated in a strategic area. (ANSA). (MD/krc)