Caucasus Platform complements the EU's policies and vision toward the region

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.