PRESS RELEASE
The Caucasus-Caspian Commission yesterday introduced the findings of its report outlining a future vision for the Caucasus-Caspian Region and its European dimension at an event at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) in London. The Commission is an independent initiative chaired by the Foreign Minister of Slovenia, Dimitrij Rupel and includes personalities from European Union countries, the US, Russia, Iran, Turkey and Caucasus-Caspian region countries.
The Commission will publish its full report before the end of the year but in the meantime members of the Commission agreed at their meeting in London earlier this week on the main recommendations to be included.
The report is expected to advocate a more visible European Union engagement with the Caucasus Caspian region. It calls for a more holistic approach to addressing the region’s complex security environment and proposes an inclusive CSCE-type process that would address security concerns whilst promoting resolution to the conflicts in Abkhazia, South Ossetia and Nagorno Karabakh, competitive politics, good governance, sustainable development, and media freedom and transparency. The report also argues that the region needs a regional economic diversification plan supported by investments in infrastructure and a modern banking system. The report calls for a determined effort to find solutions to the challenging problems facing the region in the areas of environment, education and health care.
The Caucasus-Caspian Commission was established to rethink the region’s internal dynamics and its relations with its neighbours particularly the EU. The report recommendations aim to increase the region’s long-term economic and political stability and security and link it to European structures. The Commission has been engaged in a process of consultation, debate and listening for the last 10 months. The Commission held three formal meetings, conducted a fact-finding mission in the region, and over thirty consultations with experts, policy-makers and civil society activists from the region, Europe, Russia and the US.
The Commissioners agreed to continue their work beyond 2007, by bringing the report’s findings and recommendations to decision makers in Europe and the region. The Commission will also increase its interaction with the private sector.
Speaking after the London meeting Commission Chairman, Slovenian Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel said that many of the Commission recommendations are aimed at helping to speed up the process of political and economic reform in the region. He called for a more visible role for the European Union in the region.
Co-Rapporteur of the Commission Dennis Sammut, Executive Director of the British NGO LINKS, speaking at the RUSI public hearing said that the Commission thinks that many of the issues facing the South Caucasus are intertwined and that therefore an approach that addresses simultaneously issues of security, governance, economic development and sustainability and increased relations with the European Union is required. Sammut added that next year the three South Caucasus states face presidential or parliamentary elections and the EU should not shy away from using its extensive leverage in the region to ensure that competitive politics is conducted within accepted European and international norms.
Co-Rapporteur Borut Grgic from the Ljubljana based Institute for Strategic Studies emphasized that “the South Caucasus states should not rely only on exports of raw materials.” He added that they should focus on developing a vibrant and functioning SME sector. Grgic noted the positive progress that some countries have made in allocating public funding for increasing internal market diversity and improving healthcare and education – like Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan but added that much more was needed.
For a the full version of the presentation by Dennis Sammut, click here
For further information you may contact:
In Ljubljana: Ana Jese at the Institute for Strategic Studies tel: +386 1 23 01 792
email: anaj@iss-lj.si
In London: Finlay MacDonald at LINKS, tel: +44 2075209308
email: finlay@links-london.org
For more information on the Caucasus Caspian Commission please visit the following web pages: www.caucascom.org, or www.links-london.org
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