TO ENSURE OWN SECURITY EU SHOULD BE ENGAGED DEEPER IN CONFLICTS RESOLUTION PROCESS IN SOUTH CAUCASUS

ARKA News Agency, Armenia
March 21 2006

YEREVAN, March 21. /ARKA/. To ensure own security the EU should
be deeper engaged in the process of conflicts resolution in South
Caucasus in order for them not to develop into a large-scale war in the
region of the “European Neighborhood”, the International Crisis Group
refers to the new report of the ICG “EU Role In Conflict Resolution in
South Caucasus”. The report examines the EU’s efforts in settling the
problems of Nagorno-Karabakh, Abkhazia and South Osetia, and points
out possible additional actions of this organization.

“While the UN in Abkhazia, and the OSCE in the NKR and South Osetia
dealt with the settlement of regional conflicts, negotiations,
lasting more than decades were not successful. Having the authority
of a ‘an honest mediator’ and possibility of proposals for a deeper
European integration, the EU is going to play a big role in the
region and contribute to the UN and OSCE efforts in this direction,”
the report says.

According to the press-release, in this context the EU will hardly
propose the membership to Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan in future:
it should find new ways of rendering assistance and implementation
of its influence.

“The EU attempts to determine its role in the program of the New
European Neighborhood” in the region of South Caucasus, where there
is neither peace nor war,” Director of the European program of the
ICG Nicolas White.

According to him, if the EU will not be able to implement its strategic
project on the secure neighborhood in the region, then it will lose
its authority as compared to Russia and the USA. “Most problematic
thing is that if conflicts in South Caucasus keep aggravating, then
the EU may become unprepared to give an answer in case of military
actions between its neighbors,” White said.