(Update, 19:00) On Sunday (18 February) Federal Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier left on a tour of the Southern Caucasus. This region is an important focus of the efforts to further develop the European Neighbourhood Policy, one of the foreign policy priorities of the German EU Council Presidency. In 2004, due not least to Germany's initiative, all three countries in the region – Azerbaijan, Georgia and Armenia – became partners in the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP). On 14 November 2006 ENP Action Plans with these three countries were adopted with the aim of helping them move closer to European standards.
On the first leg of his tour Minister Steinmeier held talks in Baku this morning (19 February) with Azerbaijan Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov. The meeting took place on the eve of the 15th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Germany and Azerbaijan. Besides the European Neighbourhood Policy the issues on their agenda included energy and the Nagorny-Karabakh conflict. Both Ministers noted the great importance they attached to cooperation under the auspices of the European Neighbourhood Policy. Following the adoption of the Action Plan their intention now, according to Minister Steinmeier, was to look ahead and examine what additional potential for cooperation might exist. He emphasized, however, that further progress in intensifying relations with the EU depended on the pace of Azerbaijan's own reform process. With the abolition of the death penalty and the establishment of the office of Ombudsman as well as in the economic field some important first steps had been taken. The important thing now, Steinmeier noted, was to continue on this path and make democracy and the rule of law part of the structural fabric of government and society.
Energy was another major focus of the talks in Azerbaijan. External relations in the field of energy will be an important dimension of the energy strategy which the European Union is currently developing. Both as an energy producer and as a transit country Azerbaijan – historically the cradle of oil and gas production, as Steinmeier pointed out – will continue to feature prominently in this connection. In the field of energy there was still considerable potential for cooperation both at the government and the corporate level.
Following further meetings with Azerbaijan's President Ilham oglu Aliyev and the head of the national oil and gas company SOCAR, Rovnag Abdulayev, Federal Minister Steinmeier left for the Georgian capital Tbilisi in the early afternoon.
In Tbilisi, Minister Steinmeier met for talks with the Georgian Foreign Minister Gela Bezhuashvili and Prime Minister Zurab Noghaideli. Both men pointed out the excellent state of German-Georgian relations. In Georgia, too, talks focused on the European Neighbourhood Policy. Frank-Walter Steinmeier stressed that Georgia has set itself ambitious goals for the implementation of the Action Plan. He went on to say that the possibility of concluding agreements for individual sectors had been discussed. These could help Georgia make progress towards adopting European legal standards and gain gradual access to the European single market. Furthermore, Black Sea cooperation was to be developed as a regional element. Since the accession of Romania and Bulgaria, the EU borders on the Black Sea. Frank-Walter Steinmeier made it clear that closer ties with the EU depended first and foremost on internal reforms in Georgia. Germany and the EU wanted to continue supporting the reform process, which had got off to a good start, and to stand by Georgia as it heads towards the rule of law and democracy.
Prime Minister Noghaideli stressed Georgia's particular interest in advancing judicial reform. This was one of the most difficult reforms and a plan had now been drawn up together with EU experts. Minister Steinmeier assured him of continued support for this reform.
Minister Steinmeier expressed his hope that the easing of tension in Georgian-Russian relations would result in a positive dynamism. For dialogue and trust were also vital to the peaceful resolution of the regional conflicts in South Ossetia and Abchasia. In this connection, Minister Steinmeier rejected a prejudicial effect of a Kosovo status solution on the "frozen conflicts" in the Southern Caucasus. He said that Kosovo was a "unique case and not a model for resolving conflicts in international relations".
Foreign Minister Bezhuashvili emphasized Georgia's interest in joining NATO soon. He stated that Georgia wanted to embark upon "new qualitative ways" in moving towards NATO. Federal Minister Steinmeier stressed that the question of NATO accession would have to be decided by the Alliance and Georgia alone. Third countries must not have any influence on this.
In the evening, Minister Steinmeier had dinner with Georgian President Mikhael Saakashvili.
Minister Steinmeier began Tuesday (20 February) by having breakfast with the former President of Georgia, Eduard Shevardnadze, who – as the then Foreign Minister of the Soviet Union – was one of the architects of German unification. The two men spoke about developments in the post-Soviet region.
Around midday, Federal Minister Steinmeier set off for Armenia, the last stop on his visit. Here he met for talks with Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan. In the subsequent press conference, Federal Minister Steinmeier emphasized the importance of the parliamentary elections due in Armenia in May. He expressed his hope that the resulting Government would continue to pursue the process of reform embarked upon. Mr Steinmeier stated that the EU would participate in the international observation of elections by the OSCE/ODIHR, and that Germany alone would contribute around 30 of the some 300 election observers.
Foreign Minister Oskanyan stressed that, in view of the German EU Council Presidency, the visit of the German Foreign Minister was very important for relations between the EU and Armenia. Federal Minister Steinmeier referred to the action plan adopted at the end of last year, which contained a number of starting points for cooperation. These should now consistently implemented, he said. Federal Minister Steinmeier also stressed the importance of regional cooperation in the Black Sea region, noting that Armenia also wanted to make a strong contribution in this respect. However, possibilities for cross-border cooperation of this kind were being hindered by regional conflicts in the Southern Caucasus. Federal Minister Steinmeier reiterated his hope that the countries of the Southern Caucasus would recognize the manifold prospects and opportunities which intensified regional cooperation could offer all sides, in the same way that today’s EU Member States had done in the 1950s.
With regard to the simmering Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Mr Steinmeier expressed his hope that the documents drawn up in the last few months under the mediation of the Co-Chairs of the Minsk Group (France, Russia, USA) contained elements which could lead to a resolution, suggesting that a “window for conclusive negotiations” could perhaps open up following the Armenian parliamentary elections in May this year. He added that a resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict would offer Armenia additional opportunities to realize its economic potential. The Armenian Foreign Minister Oskanyan expressly stated that a resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict within 2007 would not be impossible.
With regard to relations between Armenia and Turkey, the Federal Minister pointed out that there were still “many unresolved problems and, above all, unopened crossing points on the border.” The participation of the Armenian Vice Foreign Minister in the memorial ceremony for Hrant Dirk in Turkey was small sign of encouragement. Steinmeier emphasized his hope that this would lead to steps to improve bilateral relations. His Armenian opposite number however showed himself less optimistic in this respect.
At the end of his trip, Mr Steinmeier reiterated the enormous transformations which all three countries of the Southern Caucasus had undergone since the beginning of the 1990s. He expressed his expectation that the reform process would continue steadily, also with regard to internal state structures. His visit was, he said, intended to give a clear signal that the EU wants to make a stronger commitment to the Southern Caucasus; it was in Europe's interest to see stable development in the immediate vicinity of the European Union. This was why the German EU Council Presidency was advocating an active European Neighbourhood Policy. Federal Minister said that he had found interested partners for such a policy in the region.
