the role of the eu in the conflict regions in the south caucasus
TRANSCRIPT
The Role of the EU in the conflict regions in the South Caucasus
Ilia state University
Introduction to the European Union
01 February 2013By : Zaur Natsvlishvili
Teona ZurabaSviliKeti Tsirekidze
The main task of EU Foreign and Security Policy is:
to preserve peacep
Re strengthen international security
V promote international cooperation develop and consolidate democracy, the rule of law and respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms.
The EU has sent peacekeeping missions to several of the world’s trouble spots:
23 civilian missions and military operations on 3 continents
o August 2008, ceasefire between Georgia and Russia, (EU monitoring mission in Georgia);
o Post-tsunami peace building in Aceh;
o Protecting refugees in Chad,
o Fighting piracy off Somalia
o The Horn of Africa.
The High Representative
Catherine Ashton -
to bring more coherence
to the EU's foreign policies.
European Union and South Caucasus
GEORGIA
The Georgian-Ossetian and Georgian-Abkhaz Conflicts
South Ossetia - January 1991 to June 1992
Abkhazia - August 1992-September 1993
The Georgian-Russian Conflict
August 2008
The EU’s Role Today and actions
The Commission since 1995
The EU’s Special Representative (The EUSR) since 2003
European Neighbourhood Policies (ENP) In 2004/2005
The ESDP Mission EUMM
The EU Institute for Security Studies (The EU ISS)
Political Limitations
Conflict and its roots
main organization leading the mediation efforts
The main achievement of the international mediation efforts by OSCE and the Russian Federation was the ceasefire agreement of 1994.
The EU’s official position regarding the Karabakh conflict has been articulated most clearly in the bilateral ENP Action Plans negotiated with Armenia and Azerbaijan.
In these political documents guiding the deepening of EU relations with the two countries since 2006, the EU states its “continued and strong commitment to the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, drawing on the instruments at the EU’s disposal, and in close consultation with the OSCE”
The documents further add that “The EU is ready to consider ways to strengthen further its engagement in conflict resolution and post conflict rehabilitation”. The specific measures envisioned are focused mainly on supporting the OSCE Minsk Group, namely through the work of the EU Special Representative (EUSR) for the South Caucasus, on increased support to people-to-people contacts, and on the availability to contribute substantial assistance to post-conflict rehabilitation processes
support to the official mediation process
promotion of confidence-building measures
assistance to reconstruction in a post-conflict scenario
2010 saw little progress in the Minsk Group-mediated talks. Both capitals argue they have offered the maximum concessions. President Aliyev publicly stated that he largely accepted the basic principles as elaborated in February 2010, while President Sargsyan remained noncommittal. The Azerbaijani leadership has begun to warn that diplomacy has been in vain and threaten that it may withdraw from negotiations if Yerevan continues “simulating talks”.