Brussels, 08/04/2010 (Agence Europe) - On Thursday 8 April, MEPs on the foreign affairs committee adopted a draft resolution on Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan by 52 votes to one, with one abstention.
Through this resolution, MEPs call for the European Union to play a greater role in the South Caucasus, for which it still does not have a comprehensive strategy. They say the EU should draft a common strategy to increase stability and prosperity and to make it easier to settle conflicts in the region. The strategy should focus on three points: 1) promoting democracy, human rights and the rule of law; 2) dispute settlement; and 3) economic cooperation and social development.
During the debate before voting, rapporteur Evgeni Kirilov (S&D, Bulgaria) said that “these three countries still have a long way to go to become democratic and to come closer to European values”. MEPs lambasted the lack of freedom of expression in the three countries and the lack of pluralism of the media. They also highlighted the need to help these countries “organise free, transparent elections”. The committee, they said, should send a seven-person delegation to observe the local elections that are due to take place in Georgia on 30 May.
MEPs also drew attention to the conflicts in the region of Upper Karabakh (between Armenia and Azerbaijan) and in Georgia, and to the 250,000 displaced persons. They expressed their concern at the increases in military spending in these countries, a move which, they said, would do nothing to calm tensions. According to the draft resolution, these conflicts were an obstacle to the economic and social development of the region and caused instability in this energy-rich area, through which the Nabucco gas pipeline is due to pass. MEPs stressed the need to strengthen links both between the European Union and the three countries, and also among the countries themselves. (C-C.G/transl.rt)