SOUTH CAUCASUS IS A CRITICAL REGION BURDENED WITH PERSISTING UNRESOLVED CONFLICTS
PanARMENIAN.Net
03.10.2007 17:45 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ "South Caucasus is a critical region burdened with
persisting unresolved conflicts. Its frozen conflicts continue to
represent a serious threat to the peace and stability in the region,"
Turkish President Abdullah Gul said in his address to the Parliamentary
Assembly of the Council of Europe.
"These conflicts provide a major impediment to the region-wide
co-operation initiatives. They are also undermining prospects for
prosperity of the future generations. Therefore, the solution of these
conflicts constitutes one of the most important and urgent issues in
the South Caucasus and beyond.
Peaceful solutions should also meet the Azerbaijani and Georgian
legitimate concerns over their territorial integrity and sovereignty.
Turkey’s approach to the South Caucasus is shaped by its genuine
desire to establish a comprehensive cooperation in the region. The
contribution of all three South Caucasian states would be most
preferable," he said.
"Turning to South Eastern Europe, the crisis unleashed by the
disintegration of former Yugoslavia is back to where it started
two decades ago, in Kosovo. Turkey has acted together with the
international community in the settlement of Kosovo’s final status.
In South Eastern Europe, our focus now must be not on where we were,
but on where we would like to head. The issues confronting the region
call for bilateral and multilateral cooperation among the Balkan
states," Gul said.