ROUND TABLE ON RESOLUTION OF CONFLICTS IN THE SOUTH CAUCASUS HELD IN ATHENS
news.az
Dec 1 2009
Azerbaijan
A round table discussion on the topic "The Corfu Process, European
Security and the resolution of conflicts in the South Caucasus" was
organized by LINKS at the offices of the Foreign Press Association
of Greece in Athens on Monday 30 November 2009 on the margins of
the 17th Ministerial Council of the Organization for Security and
Co-operation in Europe (OSCE).
The panel consisted of Ambassador Unal Cevikoz, Deputy Under Secretary
for Political Affairs at the Turkish Foreign Ministry, Peter Semneby
(European Union Special Representative for the South Caucasus)
and Dennis Sammut (Executive Director, LINKS). Attending the event
where diplomats accredited to Greece and to the OSCE in Vienna led
by the Doyen of the Diplomatic Corps in Athens, HE Ambassador of
Chile Senora Sofia Prats, and including representatives of Armenia,
Azerbaijan and Georgia, as well as other guests.
Dennis Sammut welcomed participants and said that LINKS was organizing
this event on the margins of the 17 Ministerial Council of the OSCE
as part of its efforts to promote better understanding of the current
debate on European security and its impact on the Caucasus region. It
was important that a wider constituency of think tanks, NGOs and civil
society engage with this debate Europe wide and in the Caucasus region
itself and LINKS was committed to contribute to this process.
In his opening remarks Ambassador Unal Cevikoz said that over the
last eighteen months the Caucasus region has seen three important
developments: the Georgia-Russia War in August 2008 and fallout from
that crisis, including the Russian recognition of Abkhazia and South
Ossetia, the signing of the Armenian-Turkish protocols and a new
momentum in the negotiations on the Karabakh conflict. Turkey had
reacted to the Georgia-Russia war by launching the Caucasus Security
and Co-operation Platform initiative. This initiative is not meant
to replace already existing mechanisms for resolving the conflicts
in the region but rather to be an instrument that would address the
lack of trust and dialogue between the countries of the region. Turkey
also pushed forward the process for normalizing relations with Armenia.
Turkey always felt that this would add momentum to the Karabakh peace
negotiations. The speaker said that the Georgia-Russia war showed
that the use of force fails to resolve conflicts. The subsequent
recognition by Russia of Abkhazia and South Ossetia has also changed
the parameters in the region. Turkey’s policy is not to recognize
these entities however we have a new situation on the ground.
Ambassador Cevikoz said that OSCE Ministerial meeting was discussing
a text that would emphasis the importance of establishing trust and
confidence in the conduct of relations on the European continent. This
was what the Turkish CSCP initiative sought to do. There was a very
direct relationship between European Security and the situation in
the South Caucasus and Turkey was ready to contribute to the processes
that are ongoing for further enhancing European security, as well as
to the resolution of the conflicts in the South Caucasus.
Peter Semneby said that the European Union response to the
Georgia-Russia War at the strategic level was to improve the
instruments at its disposal to engage with the South Caucasus region.
Together with the European Neighbourhood Policy instrument, the new
Eastern Partnership initiative responds to the desire of the Union’s
neighbours to the east for ever closer relations. The European Union
welcomed the process for normalization of relations between Turkey
and Armenia. This was a very delicate process and the EU needs
to continue supporting it whilst also listening to the concerns
that have been raised by Azerbaijan and in this regard the EU will
work with Azerbaijan and with the people of Azerbaijan. Whilst we
accept that there is no formal link between the developments in
Armenia-Turkish relations and the negotiations between Armenia and
Azerbaijan on Nagorno-Karabakh it was impossible to ignore the impact
of one on the other. The EU was now looking at ways in which it could
support the Karabakh peace process, including through work with civil
society and this will be build on the experience that the EU has from
work in other conflict regions. In this regard we must accept that
we don’t have unlimited time. Societies in each country have become
increasingly alienated and perceive each other through stereotypical
lenses. Speaking on the situation in Georgia EUSR Semneby said that
there were regular incidents on the administrative boundaries with
Abkhazia and South Ossetia. The Russian recognition of Abkhazia and
South Ossetia had created certain new difficulties. In the South
Caucasus the longest borders remain closed and this in itself creates
tensions. It was important that the Sarkozy Plan agreed at the end of
the Georgia-Russia war be fully implemented, including on the level
of Russian forces. Peter Semneby said that he hoped that more contacts
would be possible across the administrative boundaries between Georgia
and the territories of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, and that the EU had
advised the Georgian government to be open minded in its approach to
this issue. This without prejudice to the EU’s continued support for
the territorial integrity of Georgia. The speaker said that the EU
supports the work of the OSCE and regrets that in the case of Georgia
the organization was not able to fulfill its full potential. The
OSCE Mission to Georgia had been an important instrument for support
to Georgia’s fragile democracy. For the EU the OSCE is the partner
of choice in the Georgia context and the organization was uniquely
placed to contribute to that country’s democratic development.
The Chairman, Dennis Sammut, opened the floor to questions. Mark
Fawcett (Council of the European Union) asked Unal Cevikoz if there
was concern that delays in the ratification of the Turkish-Armenian
protocols might lead to a loss of the historical momentum, especially
since there have been some negative statement by Turkish MPs and
the ratification process may be delayed due to upcoming elections in
Turkey. In reply Ambassador Cevikoz said that the historic moment was
10 October 2009 because this was the day that Armenia and Turkey had
for the first time agreed on their bilateral relations since the time
of the Kars Treaty. It happened because the leaderships of the two
countries had taken a courageous decision. Ofcourse in Turkey there
was separation of power and parliament also needs to make up its mind.
Elections are not due until 2011 but before that each Turkish
parliamentarian would have to make up their mind. What they will
decide will depend also on the situation around the Karabakh conflict,
because if there are encouraging developments on that front it would
be much easier for the Turkish parliament to ratify the agreements.
Ambassador Cevikoz pointed out that in Armenia there was also some
resistance to the agreements and that the problem was not unique
to Turkey.
Ashot Grigorian (Armenian Embassy, Athens) said that the Turkish
side should not connect its bilateral relations with Armenia with
Armenian-Azerbaijani relations, in the same way that it does not
connect its relations with Georgia with Georgia-Russian relations.
This connection was not correct and would harm the development of
relations. Unal Cevikoz said the reality of the situation was that
all the processes in the South Caucasus were interlinked. The region
needs genuine dialogue and good multilateral relations. This was not
possible to achieve only through a Turkish-Armenian rapproachment.
"Our understanding is that these are two separate processes but they
impact each other. The presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan have met
six times this year and this is because of the momentum that has
been created by the Turkish-Armenian discussions. We have ignited
the process" said Ambassador Cevikoz.
Vugar Imamaliev (Azerbaijan Mission to the OSCE in Vienna) said that
he wanted to remind everybody that Turkey had closed its borders with
Armenia in 1994 after Armenian occupation of Azerbaijani territory. It
was therefore not possible to separate the re-opening of the border
from the Karabakh issue.
Ambassador Rytis Paulauskas (Ambassador-at-Large, Lithuanian Foreign
Ministry) said that Lithuania will assume the chairmanship of the
OSCE in 2011 and they are already exploring what issues should be
the priorities of the Lithuanian Chairmanship. He asked for the
views of the panel on sub regional co-operation and how this could
fit within the process of resolving conflicts in the region. Unal
Cevikoz said that it was important to find configurations that would
allow for co-operation between the countries of the South Caucasus,
as well as between the countries of the region and other states. The
Eastern Partnership also offered interesting new frameworks and there
were synergies with other initiatives and processes. He emphasised
that these initiatives should target the people of the region and
they should be encouraged to find common ground and identify issues
that are of mutual interest. The region needs a pool of confidence
building measures and these can focus on issues that are of concern
to everybody. Peter Semneby said that this was a good time to look at
sub regional co-operation, and the EU was also interested in seeing
how external partners could be brought in, for example Norway and
Switizerland who had already shown a commitment to the region. For the
EU energy, transport, and environment are priority issues but the EU
was also keen on people to people contacts and co-operation between
municipalities. Dennis Sammut agreed on the need for co-operation in
the South Caucasus and said that the importance of having Armenia,
Azerbaijan and Georgia working together should not be underestimated.
Whatever other formations can emerge the trilateral contacts
will always remain necessary given the overlaps between the three
countries. Georgia should be encouraged to reclaim its role as a
regional actor and to make use of its good relations with Armenia
and Azerbaijan, as well as the fact that it is a multiethnic country
with large Armenian and Azerbaijani minorities in order to promote
co-operation between the three countries.
Vugar Imamaliev (Azerbaijan Mission to the OSCE) asked the panel
to comment on the proposal of President Medvedev for the adoption
of a European Security Treaty. The panel agreed that this was an
elaboration of previous Russian Initiatives that had already been
tabled by President Medvedev and Foreign Minister Lavrov. The Russian
Federation was as yet unconvinced that the Corfu Process was an
adequate response to its previous calls for a new European security
debate, but the OSCE Ministerial Council will be discussing this
in Athens in these days. Peter Semneby said that the EU considered
it important for the OSCE to take a leading role in the process to
develop the debate on European security.
Dennis Sammut said that Kazakhstan will take over the Chairmanship
of the OSCE in 2009 and that this will be a defining moment for the
organization. For the first time a CIS country and also Central Asian
country will be the head of the organization. This was initially a
controversial decision but many now think that Kazakhstan may bring
a new perspective to the OSCE. He asked the panel what were their
wishes to and from the Kazakh Chairmanship. Ambassador Cevikoz said
that he wished them luck but also he was happy with this development
because the OSCE could now truly say that it is an organization
representing the space from Vancouver to Vladivsotok and it was
important to have a Central Asian country for the first time heading
the OSCE. Kazakhstan was taking over the chairmanship at a time when
the OSCE member states were trying to redefine their security needs and
Kazakhstan could play an important role in this debate, and can bring
to it a different perspective. The speaker said that Kazakhstan was
also the initiator of the Conference on Confidence building measures
in Central Asia (CICA). Turkey will take the chairmanship of this
initiative in 2010 and this will allow it to work closely with the
Kazakh OSCE Chairmanship. Peter Semneby agreed that Kazakhstan can
play an important role, also in the South Caucasus where it has good
relations with all the countries of the region. It represents another
pole for security in the region and can make a useful contribution
to the region during the time of its chairmanship.
Dennis Sammut thanked the panel and participants and the Foreign
Press Association of Greece for providing the venue for the meeting
and closed the meeting.