CAUCASUS PLATFORM COMPLEMENTS THE EU’S POLICIES AND VISION TOWARD THE REGION
PanARMENIAN.Net
24.09.2008 15:53 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The conflict between Russia and Georgia has once
again demonstrated the volatile character of the Caucasus and why it
is so crucial for the world to defuse tensions there, Turkish Foreign
Minister Ali Babacan said in "Calming the Caucasus" piece of opinion
published in The International Herald Tribune.
"This conflict has affected all the countries of the region. Azerbaijan
and Armenia, for example, were deprived of their main transport
routes. It raised concerns about prominent infrastructure projects
such as the railroad connection between Baku, Tbilisi and Kars, the
Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline, and the Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum gas
pipeline, which promise to ensure the long-term energy and transport
security of the region and Europe.
As a neighbor to the conflict, Turkey has an enormous stake in
overcoming the tension between Russia and Georgia.
On behalf of the European Union, France has taken a very active role
in arranging a cease-fire, and President Nicolas Sarkozy’s laudable
efforts are fully supported by Turkey.
To re-establish peace and stability in the Caucasus in the longer run,
Turkey is also pursuing a series of diplomatic initiatives mainly
based on three pillars.
First, we have to recognize and address the profound lack of confidence
among the states of the region. Russia and Georgia are at war with
each other. The situation between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the
conflict in and around Nagorno-Karabakh is not much different. There
are also problems between Turkey and Armenia.
The lack of confidence in the region creates a fertile environment
for breeding instability, insecurity and, as we have seen in Georgia,
war. It also undermines political dialogue, economic cooperation and
good-neighborly relations that Caucasian countries need to prosper.
Furthermore, this tense situation has become more or less an
inherent feature of the Caucasus in the last 17 years, since none
of the previous attempts to resolve the protracted conflicts there
have yielded any constructive outcomes. This situation has to be
corrected quickly.
The Caucasus countries need to develop a functional method of finding
solutions to their problems from within.
Turkey’s proposal is to bring the countries of the region together
under the Caucasus Stability and Cooperation Platform (CSCP).
In the interest of building confidence among these nations,
Turkey believes it is time to pursue a regional but comprehensive
approach. The CSCP, in that context, provides an opportunity.
It does not intend to become an alternative to any institution,
mechanism or any international organization that deals with the
problems of the Caucasus.
On the contrary, it is an additional platform to facilitate the
communication between the countries of the region, a framework to
develop stability, confidence and cooperation, a forum for dialogue.
In this context, it is not only compatible with Turkey’s EU policies
but it also complements the EU’s policies and vision toward the
Caucasus region, namely the EU Neighborhood Policy. This complementary
feature might bring a new impetus and a functional momentum to the
region," the article says.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress