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EU/SOUTHERN CAUCASUS : BENITA FERRERO-WALDNER PUSHING TO CONCLUDE ACTION PLANS
European Report
October 2, 2006
After ten months of negotiations, the EU Commissioner for External
Relations, Benita Ferrero-Waldner, is hoping to reach agreement with
the Southern Caucasus countries within the framework of the European
Neighbourhood Policy, when she visits the region on 2-3 October. She
is hoping to finalise the action plans with Armenia, Azerbaijan and
Georgia so that they can be formally signed during the Cooperation
Council scheduled for November, less than a year after the start of
negotiations in December 2005. "We are hoping to add the final touches
to these agreements during this visit," explained a spokesperson for
the commissioner.
Although the negotiations with Georgia are complete, there still
remains a language' problem with Azerbaijan and Armenia, admitted a
Commission source. The Azeri authorities are opposed to any mention
in the action plan text of the principle of self-determination, the
reason being the conflict with Armenia with regard to the region of
Nagorno-Karabakh, which belongs to Azerbaijan but is mainly populated
with Armenians.
The frozen conflicts' will be at the centre of the discussions between
the commissioner and the authorities of the different countries
in the presence of the Finnish Minister for Foreign Affairs, Erkki
Tuomioja, currently responsible for the Presidency of the EU. They
will discuss ways to contribute more to the peaceful resolution
of these conflicts. "We have a mutual interest in resolving the
conflicts and bringing stability to the entire region," announced
Ferrero-Waldner. The need is becoming ever more pressing given that
after 1 January 2007, with Bulgaria and Romania's scheduled accession
to the EU, the Union's borders will extend to the Black Sea, creating
an open window on the Southern Caucus.
European Report
October 2, 2006
After ten months of negotiations, the EU Commissioner for External
Relations, Benita Ferrero-Waldner, is hoping to reach agreement with
the Southern Caucasus countries within the framework of the European
Neighbourhood Policy, when she visits the region on 2-3 October. She
is hoping to finalise the action plans with Armenia, Azerbaijan and
Georgia so that they can be formally signed during the Cooperation
Council scheduled for November, less than a year after the start of
negotiations in December 2005. "We are hoping to add the final touches
to these agreements during this visit," explained a spokesperson for
the commissioner.
Although the negotiations with Georgia are complete, there still
remains a language' problem with Azerbaijan and Armenia, admitted a
Commission source. The Azeri authorities are opposed to any mention
in the action plan text of the principle of self-determination, the
reason being the conflict with Armenia with regard to the region of
Nagorno-Karabakh, which belongs to Azerbaijan but is mainly populated
with Armenians.
The frozen conflicts' will be at the centre of the discussions between
the commissioner and the authorities of the different countries
in the presence of the Finnish Minister for Foreign Affairs, Erkki
Tuomioja, currently responsible for the Presidency of the EU. They
will discuss ways to contribute more to the peaceful resolution
of these conflicts. "We have a mutual interest in resolving the
conflicts and bringing stability to the entire region," announced
Ferrero-Waldner. The need is becoming ever more pressing given that
after 1 January 2007, with Bulgaria and Romania's scheduled accession
to the EU, the Union's borders will extend to the Black Sea, creating
an open window on the Southern Caucus.