The foreign ministers of Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan voiced the desire for a future in Euro-Atlantic organisations as they spoke at a panel on the EU's neighbourhood policy at the Caspian Outlook 2008 conference at Bled on Monday.
They welcomed the fact that the South Caucasus is becoming an important part of the neighbourhood policy, but they also highlighted the unresolved conflicts in the region. This prompted a lively debate between the foreign ministers of Azerbaijan and Armenia on their countries' role in the Nagorno Karabakh conflict.
Ultimately, however, Azeri Foreign Minister Elmar Mamadjarov as well as his Armenian counterpart Vartan Oskaian voiced the hope that a solution would be found in the near future especially since an agreement that could have benefits for both sides is on the table.
All Southern Caucasus countries - the panel also featured George Baramidze, Georgian state minister for European and Euro-Atlantic integration - expressed pleasure at being part of the neighbourhood policy, but they also stressed that this was a two-way process that can also benefit the EU.
Benita Ferrero-Waldner, the European external relations commissioner, pointed out that neighbourhood policy is not about imposing solutions, but supporting reform.
She acknowledged that the policy was still young and is not offering EU membership yet. But this does not mean that membership is excluded.
In her keynote Ferrero-Waldner urged the leaders of South Caucasus countries to become aware of the responsibility they have towards not only their citizens, but the region as a whole.
"The long-term benefits of peace, prosperity and stability of the region must be put before short-term tactical considerations," she said.
She said there were three alarming developments in the region: the lack of progress in the resolution of frozen conflicts such as Nagorno Karabakh, Abhasia and North Ossetia, defence spending which is "going through the roof" and the harsh political rhetoric which is having an impact on the region.
In the last panel of the conference, which dealt with investment prospects in the region, panelists said that high prices of crude oil and natural gas have been behind the recent economic rise of the Caspian region, however, this has created few new jobs. Profits from energy must therefore be channeled into other business activities which would create jobs.
The president of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) Jean Lemmiere said during the debate that the countries of the region will also have to launch mutual trade if they wish to prosper economically. Lemierre stressed that the region also has enormous investment potential.
This was echoed by the deputy head of the UN Economic Commission for Europe Paolo Garonna, who also said that Europe must offer these countries a European future.
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