TICKET TO PROSPERITY OF CAUCASUS CASPIAN REGION IS INTEGRATION: SLOVENIAN FOREIGN MINISTER

Trend News Agency, Azerbaijan
May 25 2007

Azerbaijan, Baku/ corr. "Trend" À. Gasimova/ Trend’s exclusive
interview with the chairman of Caucasus Caspian Commission, the
Minister of foreign affairs of Slovenia Dimitrij Rupel

Question: Could you inform about goals and tasks of the Commission?

What are the priority tasks?

Answer: The Caucasus-Caspian Commission was launched as a civil
society initiative to which eminent persons from Europe, the US,
Russia and from the wider Caspian region were invited to consider
improving and increasing the dynamics of the relationships – both
political and economic – in the region and between the region and
the EU. Given that both the EU and the region are in the process of
evolution we need to think of ways to capitalize on the new political
and economic opportunities. Not least, the region is important for
the EU as an energy source and it is a land link to Asia. In short,
Commission is reviewing the developments and may issue recommendations
in four areas: sustainable regional economy, political stability,
conflict resolution and Europe-Caspian affairs.

Question One of the objectives of the Commission is to define a
strategy to encourage regional cooperation on political, economic and
security platforms, taking into consideration the presence of several
"lingering conflicts" in the region, how do you see the chances for
such comprehensive cooperation?

Answer: I am optimistic. There is a real chance and a need to promote
cooperation in the broader Caspian Sea region. It is important that
the South Caucasus states have good relations with the EU. The region
will also benefit from a vibrant regional dynamic. The ticket to
prosperity is integration. At the same time, division, conflict and
political instability drives away investors, dries up profit margins
and undercuts productivity. The general public in the end pays the
price. EU is about stability and prosperity and the EU’s Neighborhood
Policy was designed to push this stability and prosperity beyond our
immediate borders. I see the South Caucasus as a real link for Europe
into Asia. The strategy to integrated Europe and the South Caucasus
has to be long-term based and predominantly economically driven.

Question: What are your views on failure of Azerbaijan, a country
imposed to Armenian aggression, to resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict in a peaceable way, despite efforts taken for 10 years? What
essential role can the Commission, the EU and the international
community take in this respect?, a country imposed to Armenian
aggression, to resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict in a peaceable
way, despite efforts taken for 10 years? What essential role can
the Commission, the EU and the international community take in this
respect?

Answer: The Nagorno-Karabakh solution will have to be reached by the
parties. Armenia and Azerbaijan are neighbors, that is a fact and
that will not change. Both will be better off if they can resolve
this dispute, but I am aware of the fact that my friends from the
region know this. I also know that genuine political will exists on
both sides to move beyond the conflict phase and focus on the more
positive aspects of the inter-state relationship – like the chance to
develop a meaningful economic exchange. The solution will have to be a
peaceful one. Europe can play an important role in helping resolve the
frozen conflicts. The role of the Commission is not to produce magic
answers to the frozen conflicts – I don’t think we have them nor is
it up to us – but by helping through drawing international attention
to these regional issues, this region, and to the opportunities for
economic cooperation in the wider Caspian region.

Question: The Commission is reported to have an intention of
dispatching its fact-finding mission to Nagorno-Karabakh. What tasks
will be put set for the mission and when it might occur?Question:
The Commission is reported to have an intention of dispatching its
fact-finding mission to Nagorno-Karabakh. What tasks will be put set
for the mission and when it might occur?

Answer: Fact-finding missions have been a topic of our discussions.

However, no agreement has been reached to actually launch them. In
any case, I can assure you that the activities of the Commission will
be transparent and fully coordinated with the local authorities.

Question: How could the Caspian-Caucasus Commission help the region,
particularly, Azerbaijan in improvement of relationships with Europe?

What are the Commission’s plans in this respect?

Answer: The Commission Report will be released sometime at the end
of November. The matter of improved relations between Europe and the
region will be addressed in full in the Report. It is relevant only
to stress that the Caspian-EU axis is growing increasingly relevant in
the economic and energy exchange between the regions, and thus we need
a more comprehensive and streamlined political and security dialogue.

Question: Do you plan to act as a co-chair at an international
conference on "Role of media in encouragement tolerance and mutual
understanding" to be held in Baku in April? How do you estimate
Baku’s initiative on arrangement of such discussions and how much
are they significant?

Answer: Unfortunately due to prior NATO and other government
engagements I was unable to attend this year. The role of the media
in promotion of tolerance is an important issue and it is very good
to see Baku taking the lead on this. We need to find a way to balance
the principal of freedom of speech and protect free press, but at the
same time use our media to promote tolerance, intercultural dialogue
and peace. I hope to see Baku continue this great initiative and I
hope to have another chance of participating in the future.

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