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news.az, Azerbaijan
July 23 2010
EU should be more involved in the resolution of the conflict
Fri 23 July 2010 | 06:02 GMT Text size:
Stefan Meister News.Az interviews Dr. Stefan Meister, German Council
on Foreign Relations, Program Officer.
What was the purpose and results of the recent DGAP's event on the
South Caucasus?
The purpose of the event was to bring the focus of the German policy
on the South Caucasus and to provoke a strategic debate on the region
and EU's/Germany's interests in the region. The result was that there
is a high interest in Germany on the region at the moment, but a
controversial discussion, how to deal with the conflicts and the
states in the region and how too involve Russia in EU's politic
towards the South Caucasus. The German political elite is for a close
cooperation with Russia in conflict solution in the region.
Can we expect a more active role of the EU in our region?
EU is with the monitoring mission in Georgia active in the region, but
this is not enough. EU needs a strategy how to develop closer
cooperation with the states of the region, how to enforce conflict
solution and deepen energy cooperation. At the moment the EU is
dealing first of all with itself, because it reforms its institutions
after the Lisbon treaty. There is a higher interest of EU
member-states in the region but still no member-state is willing to
push EU's South Caucasus policy.
Why don't the EU member-states have a common policy towards the South Caucasus?
First of all, because of Russia. Some member-states develop their
policy towards the SC with regard to Russia. Other member states
against Russia or without Russia. As a result, there is no consensus
on how to develop the policy towards the SC, which weakens EU's
policy. Secondly, there are member-states which have no interest in
the post-Soviet space, they don't understand, why to be more involved
in the region.
Does the EU looks at Azerbaijan as only a part of the South Caucasus
or this republic takes its own place in the European foreign policy?
It has especially a place in EU's member states economic and energy
policy. Azerbaijan is the most important economic partner in the
region which is visible in all EU document. EU still doesn't see
Azerbaijan as an important security or foreign policy partner in the
region.
Do you see the Karabakh conflict as a real obstacle in bilateral
cooperation and what can the EU do to help the settlement of the
problem?
The Karabakh conflict weakens regional cooperation in the SC and is
therefore an obstacle for EU's multilateral approach towards the
region. It isolates first of all Armenia and makes the EU approach of
equal cooperation with all the states of the region difficult. The EU
should be more involved in the resolution of the conflict. Brussels
should take over the co-chairmanship from France and should put a
stronger pressure on both parties to find a solution in the context of
the Madrid principles. With more EU engagement in the region and more
economic cooperation for Azerbaijan and Armenia, it would be more
important to solve the conflict.
Aliyah Fridman
News.Az
From: A. Papazian
July 23 2010
EU should be more involved in the resolution of the conflict
Fri 23 July 2010 | 06:02 GMT Text size:
Stefan Meister News.Az interviews Dr. Stefan Meister, German Council
on Foreign Relations, Program Officer.
What was the purpose and results of the recent DGAP's event on the
South Caucasus?
The purpose of the event was to bring the focus of the German policy
on the South Caucasus and to provoke a strategic debate on the region
and EU's/Germany's interests in the region. The result was that there
is a high interest in Germany on the region at the moment, but a
controversial discussion, how to deal with the conflicts and the
states in the region and how too involve Russia in EU's politic
towards the South Caucasus. The German political elite is for a close
cooperation with Russia in conflict solution in the region.
Can we expect a more active role of the EU in our region?
EU is with the monitoring mission in Georgia active in the region, but
this is not enough. EU needs a strategy how to develop closer
cooperation with the states of the region, how to enforce conflict
solution and deepen energy cooperation. At the moment the EU is
dealing first of all with itself, because it reforms its institutions
after the Lisbon treaty. There is a higher interest of EU
member-states in the region but still no member-state is willing to
push EU's South Caucasus policy.
Why don't the EU member-states have a common policy towards the South Caucasus?
First of all, because of Russia. Some member-states develop their
policy towards the SC with regard to Russia. Other member states
against Russia or without Russia. As a result, there is no consensus
on how to develop the policy towards the SC, which weakens EU's
policy. Secondly, there are member-states which have no interest in
the post-Soviet space, they don't understand, why to be more involved
in the region.
Does the EU looks at Azerbaijan as only a part of the South Caucasus
or this republic takes its own place in the European foreign policy?
It has especially a place in EU's member states economic and energy
policy. Azerbaijan is the most important economic partner in the
region which is visible in all EU document. EU still doesn't see
Azerbaijan as an important security or foreign policy partner in the
region.
Do you see the Karabakh conflict as a real obstacle in bilateral
cooperation and what can the EU do to help the settlement of the
problem?
The Karabakh conflict weakens regional cooperation in the SC and is
therefore an obstacle for EU's multilateral approach towards the
region. It isolates first of all Armenia and makes the EU approach of
equal cooperation with all the states of the region difficult. The EU
should be more involved in the resolution of the conflict. Brussels
should take over the co-chairmanship from France and should put a
stronger pressure on both parties to find a solution in the context of
the Madrid principles. With more EU engagement in the region and more
economic cooperation for Azerbaijan and Armenia, it would be more
important to solve the conflict.
Aliyah Fridman
News.Az
From: A. Papazian