Brussels, 28/01/2002 (Agence Europe) - On Wednesday, the European Parliament's General Affairs Committee adopted the motion for a resolution of Per Gahrton (Greens/ALE, Sweden) on EU relations with the Southern Caucasus, within the framework of a co-operation partnership with Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia. These agreements entered into force in July 1999. Emphasising the continued instability in the region and the worsening human rights situation, the report calls on the Council to rapidly determine the long-term overall strategies in order to anticipate violent conflict in the region and set up a mechanism that would promote security and co-operation in the region. In this context, it has drawn on the lessons of the Stability Pact in the Balkans. MEPs also called on the European Commission to put forward a number of different proposals, whilst adding that the co-operation partnership agreements with Southern Caucasus countries should be aligned in order to establish a co-ordinated approach. The fight against arms and drug smuggling should be prioritised, environmental problems, money laundering and the traffic in human beings. The Commission also supported the idea of designating a Special Envoy in the region and a civilian peace keeping force, within the framework of the Commission's rapid reaction force, which could help develop dialogue and mutual confidence between the different ethnic groups. MEPs called on the EU to provide greater financial support to help regional co-operation. The international community had to play a full part, they said, given the important de facto role played by foreign countries in the region but also because raising the necessary funding would require international support. The report, however, calls for caution when dealing with financial matters, given the sometimes inopportune economic and social incidents that occurred in Central and Eastern Europe. The report calls on the three countries in the region to meet their responsibilities as members of the Council of Europe in the field of human rights and fundamental freedoms. It also calls on them to take the essential measures themselves to strengthen the fight against corruption and promote a State of law, freedom of the press and free development of civil society.