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  • Caucasus Platform Complements The EU's Policies And Vision Toward Th

    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.
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