The European Union plays an important role in conflict regions in the South Caucasus through its foreign and security policies. The EU has sent peacekeeping missions around the world, including a monitoring mission in Georgia after the 2008 ceasefire between Georgia and Russia. While the EU supports the OSCE-led mediation efforts in various conflicts, its political engagement is limited. The EU aims to support conflict resolution, confidence building, and post-conflict reconstruction in the region.
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The role of the EU in the conflict regions in the south caucasus
1. The Role of the EU in the conflict
regions in the South Caucasus
Introduction to the European Union
01 February 2013
By : Zaur Natsvlishvili
Teona ZurabaSvili
Keti Tsirekidze
Ilia state University
2. 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.
3. 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.
6. 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
7. 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)
10. 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.
11. 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”
12. 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
13. support to the official mediation process
promotion of confidence-building measures
assistance to reconstruction in a post-conflict
scenario
14. 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”.
