"REASSESSMENT OF THE SECURITY ENVIRONMENT IN SOUTH CAUCASUS: REGIONAL CONFLICTS, STABILITY AND TRANSMISSION" TWO-DAY INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE KICKS OFF IN YEREVAN
ARMENPRESS
May 14, 2009
YEREVAN, MAY 14, ARMENPRESS: The "Reassessment of security environment
in the South Caucasus: regional conflicts, stability and transmission"
two-day international conference kicked off today in Yerevan. Within
its frameworks the participants will refer to the conflicts existing
in the region – Russian-Georgian, Nagorno Karabakh, Armenian-Turkish
as well as the relations of states of the region and prospects of
their development.
Armenian Defense Minister Seyran Ohanyan noted that there are
challenges and threats in South Caucasian region as well: particularly
the existence of Karabakh conflict and absence of mutually agreed
political legal bases of regulation between the sides, the policy of
militarization conducted by Azerbaijan, goal for achieving a military
superiority and regulation of Karabakh conflict through use of force as
well as the blockade of Armenia and the policy of Armenia’s isolation
in the region are direct threats for Armenia.
S. Ohanyan noted that like for all other states as well as for
Armenia besides a direct military threat there also exist other
threats including the destabilization of the security environment
in the Armenian neighbor countries and generally in South Caucasus,
unleashing existing or new conflicts, international terrorism, illegal
circulation of weapons of mass destruction and its constitutes,
drugs and psychotropic agents as well as trafficking in human beings.
According to him, to liquidate the mentioned and other threats
Armenia has today chosen two main directions – strengthening the
national defense system by implementation of reforms and obtainment
of international security guarantees through integration.
S. Ohanyan expressed hope that this conference will be a proper arena
for presentation of important proposals and ideas on the process
of giving a new meaning to the security in the South Caucasus as
conduction of suchlike international conferences on the regional
security gives an opportunity to the experts of different states
dealing with security researches to express themselves and exchange
thoughts on the issues of regional security architecture.
French Ambassador to Armenia Serzh Smessow stressed the importance of
ensuring the regional stability. Referring to the regional conflicts
he noted that worsening of the political situation in Georgia is
troubling not only for Georgia but also for all the neighboring states.
Developments in Georgia showed that there is no alternative to the
negotiation process for Karabakh conflict regulation. Referring to the
negotiation process between Armenia and Turkey S. Smessow expressed
hope that the regulation of relations between the two states will
also have a positive impact on the whole region.
The international conference is being held by the RA Ministry of
Defense "Institute of National Strategic Researches" and the "Center
of Defense and International Security Researches" of Lyons Jan Mullen
University.
Nearly 20 authoritative experts and scientists from Armenia,
Azerbaijan, Georgia, Russia, Turkey, Iran, France, United Kingdom,
Norway, USA and other states take part in the conference.