EU signals more involvement in South Caucasus

PanARMENIAN.Net - High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy/Vice-President of the European Commission, Josep Borrell, has said that the European Union is committed to be an active player to promote the resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

Borrell published a blog post days after he mandated three EU Foreign Ministers to visit the South Caucasus countries on his behalf. They were accompanied by the EU Special Representative for the South Caucasus and crisis in Georgia, Toivo Klaar and a senior official from the EEAS, Michael Siebert.

"The Ministers passed three main messages to the leaders of the South Caucasus countries: the EU is committed to be an active player to promote conflict resolution in the region; the EU is ready to develop bilateral relationships while supporting regional cooperation and connectivity; and the EU is attached to the inclusivity and flexibility of the Eastern Partnership policy framework," Borrell said.

The High Representative said the South Caucasus is a region at the crossroads between Europe and Central Asia, bordering the wider Middle East.

"We see a growing number of countries that are active in the region, politically and economically, starting with Russia but also Turkey, China, Iran and others. The South Caucasus is important to the EU, in terms of transport corridors linking the EU with Asia and the diversification of EU energy resources. So, we should foster the region’s role as a connectivity hub," he said.

"There is a growing expectation on the side of EU member states and partners for the EU to take a more active role in addressing the conflicts in the Eastern neighbourhood."

All three countries in the South Caucasus suffer from unresolved conflicts, Borrell said. According to him, the 44-day war between Armenia and Azerbaijan in and around Nagorno-Karabakh in autumn 2020 shook the region and altered the regional balance. There is a growing expectation on the side of EU member states and partners for the EU to take a more active role in addressing the conflicts in the Eastern Neighbourhood.

Citing the bloc's active involvement in Georgia, Borrell said the EU has never been directly involved in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement, which for the last 25 years is conducted under the leadership of the Minsk Group co-chairs (France, US, Russia).

"This does not mean that the EU has remained passive: we have supported the co-chairs through confidence building measures such as projects implemented at the community level under the European Partnership for the Peaceful Settlement of the Conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh (EPNK)," the diplomat said.

"We were also closely engaged during the hostilities between Armenia and Azerbaijan last autumn: I had many exchanges with my counterparts from both countries and was in contact with other international actors to help end the conflict. Supporting the efforts of the Minsk Group co-chairs remains the best way to achieve a comprehensive and lasting settlement. However, we want to be helpful to these efforts and are ready to engage more."