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Resolution 1525 (2006)
The establishment of a Stability Pact for the South Caucasus
1. The Parliamentary Assembly recalls
its long-standing concern for democratic stability, security and
well-being in the South Caucasus region. It has closely followed
the situation in the three Caucasus republics, Armenia, Azerbaijan
and Georgia, and largely contributed, in its areas of excellence
– democracy, rule of law and human rights – to the democratic transformation
of the region.
2. The Assembly reiterates its concern that a political solution
of the separatist conflicts in the region has not been achieved
so far. The political, social and economic progress of the Caucasian
countries, as well as regional co-operation seem to be hostage to
those conflicts.
3. At the same time, while not wishing to interfere with the
negotiation process among the parties in those conflicts, the Assembly
strongly believes that it is its duty and it has the capacity to
create a positive climate around the negotiations, thus facilitating
their successful outcome. Such a climate could emerge if, in parallel to
the negotiations and with separate efforts from each Caucasian country
to internally enhance European values, the prospect for a regional
strategy of co-operation and integration were defined by all those
concerned and made available by the international community.
4. The Assembly also recalls its support for the European Neighbourhood
Policy (ENP) as outlined in its Recommendation 1724 (2005) on this question, and welcomes the inclusion of the
three Caucasian republics into the ENP. The Council of Europe contributes
in an important way to the implementation of the action plans for
the countries of the region.
5. The Assembly stresses that while political settlement of the
conflicts in the region (including the conflicts over Nagorno-Karabakh,
Abkhasia and South Ossetia) is necessary for further development
in the political, economic and social areas of each and every Caucasian
country, their prosperous and secure future cannot be guaranteed
without regional co-operation and integration. The co-operation
between those countries as such might also create a climate of trust
favourable to the settlement of the conflicts or the prevention
of new conflicts.
6. The Assembly strongly believes that for the Caucasian countries,
such regional co-operation leading to regional integration is also
necessary in order to overcome the liabilities related to the small
dimensions of each of the national markets, the disparities in their
natural resources and the difficult geopolitical conditions circumscribed
by their geographical position as transition areas for crude oil
and gas, by their political neighbourhood and by the controversies
linked to the different agendas of the main international players
in the region. It believes therefore that the international community
should contribute more actively to the creation of favourable conditions
for political talks as well as for institutionally-enhanced regional
co-operation after, or in parallel with, the possible success of
those talks.
7. The Assembly has closely examined the concept of the Stability
Pact for South Eastern Europe with a view to drawing from positive
experiences gained and to developing a possible stability pact for
the South Caucasus, taking into account the significant differences
between these regions particularly as regards geopolitics and specific
concerns.
8. The Assembly is fully aware that despite numerous similarities
between the Caucasus and the Balkans, there are important differences,
the most important being that:
8.1. the
“frozen conflicts” in the region which are impeding democratic,
social and economic development have not yet lead to confrontational
fatigue, which makes peaceful solutions and political compromises
more attractive;
8.2. the Caucasian states do not have, for the moment, the
prospect of European Union accession;
8.3. the international community is not in the position to
develop the kind of presence in the region which would allow for
political decisions to be in line with the strategic needs of regional
security even if they conflict with national short-term agendas;
8.4. the international community is more divided over the international
status and the political future of the area than in the case of
the Balkans.
9. It is obvious that the establishment of a stability pact for
the South Caucasus would require the full and active support of
all those concerned. However, the Assembly notes that the idea has
not gained sufficient support from all parties concerned, in particular
the three Caucasus republics, but also the European Union, the Russian
Federation, Turkey and the United States of America. The Caucasian
countries feel that the priorities are different, namely the management
of the different frozen conflicts. The international players are not
yet ready to promote a common policy in the region, and therefore
they have more trust in the instruments they can use within their
bilateral relations with each of the Caucasian states.
10. Nevertheless, the Assembly also notes that despite those reservations
it is possible that such a concept might become useful if the appropriate
conditions are created, if the substance of the pact is sufficiently
clarified and if it responds both to the need for stability and
security of the South Caucasus as a region and to the various specific
interests and concerns of the countries involved (including the
main international players).
11. Therefore the Assembly believes that it is necessary to:
11.1. formulate the main principles
and the basic guiding ideas for a stability pact for the South Caucasus
as a starting point for further international reflection;
11.2. propose the initiation of an international conference
on security and co-operation in the South Caucasus (ICSCSC) to evaluate
the potential of such a stability pact and to offer incentives and assistance
for its possible enhancement in the appropriate form and at the
appropriate time.
12. The Assembly further believes that the above-mentioned international
conference should adopt the pact in the form of a joint strategy
which would include a joint offer for Caucasian states to which
international players would contribute. This joint strategy should
begin with the identification of the common interests of all the
Southern Caucasian peoples and countries, achieved with the direct
participation of their legitimate representatives. Such solidarity
of interests – obviously including such goals as sustainable freedom,
security, prosperity and dignity – once defined, should allow for
the development of common projects aimed at achieving security through
pluralist democracy and stability through sustainable development.
13. The Assembly also believes that the common projects forming
the substance of the stability pact’s strategy should include measures
aimed at encouraging and assisting regional integration through communication,
consultation, confidence-building, co-ordination and co-operation
among the South Caucasian players. Within this context, the Council
of Europe should use its expertise in promoting programmes concerning
inter-ethnic, inter-cultural and inter-religious respect and coexistence,
as well as the establishment of transcaucasian civil society and
political parties.
14. As long as the European Union cannot offer the Caucasian countries
European Union membership it should offer them, together with the
Council of Europe, full technical assistance and generous financial
support in adopting and enhancing the European Union model in the
South Caucasus. Within this process, the integration strategy of
the region has to be based on the principles of subsidiarity, solidarity,
transparency and accountability. At the same time, it should promote
the free circulation of goods, capital and people in the whole region.
15. The Assembly is of the opinion that the stability pact’s mechanism
must include three round tables – one on security, one on economy
and social affairs and one on democracy and human rights – whose
role will be to identify regional priorities in conjunction with
national and local priorities and to define the necessary concrete
programmes, which should be tailored to those priorities in the
respective fields of competence. The respective programmes must
have as their ultimate goal the gradual establishment of a South
Caucasian internal free market, a South Caucasian economic and monetary
union, and an area of security, freedom and justice (including social
justice) in the region, possibly supported by a common taxation
policy and a common defence identity.
16. The Assembly strongly believes that a stability pact for the
South Caucasus must reiterate the principle of the total withdrawal
of foreign military forces from the internationally recognised territory
of another country and propose a mechanism for the implementation
of such a principle. The pact should not try to identify or impose
solutions to the existing frozen conflicts, but must create a favourable
framework for those asked to find these solutions, including, among
others, confidence-building programmes. In this respect, the ICSCSC
could initiate a separate dialogue in an appropriate format for
the negotiation of the said withdrawal of the foreign military forces
under international guarantees and possibly their replacement by
international peacekeeping forces under the United Nations flag.
17. The Assembly believes that the non-alignment of the South
Caucasian countries with any third political and military regional
alliance, other than the one they might want to establish together,
would facilitate the feasibility and sustainability of peace, co-operation
and integration in the region. However, this could not and should
not prevent the South Caucasian countries establishing special economic
partnerships which are consolidated and developed with global or
regional players such as the European Union. Such partnerships should
be coupled with a most-favoured-nation status granted to the countries
which will have contributed to putting in place the stability pact
for the South Caucasus. Likewise, the enhancement of the stability
pact should imply adequate undertakings concerning fair and equal
opportunities offered to those interested in the free transit of
goods through the region.
18. Finally, the Assembly recommends that an international fund
be established for the stability pact for the South Caucasus, composed
of public and private donations. This fund could and should represent
the most important, effective and transparent financial instrument
for a coherent mobilisation and distribution of the financial resources
required by the implementation of the programmes and policies promoted
within and by the pact.
19. Furthermore, the Assembly resolves to pursue its efforts aimed
at facilitating regional co-operation at the parliamentary level,
and in particular to:
19.1. continue
consultations at parliamentary level concerning the establishment
of the stability pact for the South Caucasus and the feasibility
of an international conference on security and co-operation in the South
Caucasus;
19.2. advance its own reflection on this subject;
19.3. invite its committees to step up co-operation with their
counterparts in the three South Caucasian republics with a view
to organising joint regional events in their field of competence;
19.4. step up adequate parliamentary assistance programmes in
support of the enhancement of a possible stability pact for the
South Caucasus to be launched at the appropriate time.