Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2002-02-27-Speech-3-174"

Predicate	Value (sorted: default)
rdf:type	lpv_eu:Speech2
dcterms:Date	"2002-02-27"^^xsd:date2
dcterms:Is Part Of	lp_eu:EU relations with South Caucasus2
dcterms:Language	"nl"^^xsd:language2
lpv:document identification number	"en.20020227.12.3-174"2
lpv:hasSubsequent	lp_eu:2002-02-27-Speech-3-1752
lpv:speaker	lp:Bas Belder2
lpv:spokenAs	substitute; Delegation to the EU-Romania Joint Parliamentary Committee (2002-02-07--2004-07-19)3 substitute; Committee on Industry, External Trade, Research and Energy (2002-01-17--2004-07-19)3 member; EDD (1999-07-20--2004-07-19)3 unknown; Staatkundig Gereformeerde Partij - Gereformeerd Politiek Verbond - Reformatorisch Politieke Federatie (1999-07-20--2002-03-17)3 member; Delegation for relations with the Member States of ASEAN, south-east Asia and the Republic of Korea (2002-02-07--2004-07-19)3 vice-chair; Delegation for relations with the United States (2002-02-07--2004-07-19)3 member; Committee on Foreign Affairs, Human Rights, Common Security and Defence Policy (2002-01-17--2004-07-19)3
lpv:translated text	"Mr President, I cherish very intense, personal memories of South Caucasus. More than ten years ago, I was there as a journalist and followed the process of post-Soviet decolonisation. The hospitality and geniality of the local population have always stayed with me. At the same time, however, inter-ethnic conflicts have darkened the political horizon of the three Transcaucasian republics. The rapid, armed escalation of these conflicts is still a burden upon the entire region. Just think of the explosive centres of crisis formed by Abkhazia and Nagorny-Karabakh. Mr Gahrton has attempted to unravel the Caucasian knot of conflict, which is a nigh impossible task. The aim is to provide specific recommendations for a constructive European contribution towards the pacification and reconstruction of the region. I would particularly like to underline his appeal for prioritising European support for establishing the rule of law in Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan. A western Caucasus specialist told me yesterday that this matter of concern requires more coordination between the Member States and the European institutions. The Commission may be able to tell me whether it shares this concern. More so than with the draft resolution, reading the explanatory statement to the Gahrton report evoked a sense of protest in me. I should like to single out two controversial points. Firstly, Mr Gahrton’s analysis and interpretation of the post-Communist socio-economic collapse of the Transcaucasian republics has no regard for the legacy of the Soviet economy, or the mockery which native leaders made of the privatisation process. Secondly, the rapporteur is very critical of the role of the United States in the region. I doubt whether the republics are in danger, or should live in fear, of ‘neo-colonialism’ from specifically that quarter. Meanwhile, the idea of an ‘Organisation for Economic Cooperation in South Caucasus’ appeals to me greatly. It is a practical step towards establishing mutual trust, turning back the process of regional economic disintegration and re-creating a transnational system of infrastructure. Current European aid projects, including Traceca and Inogate, are ideally suited to these goals and, what is more, prove that European efforts of this kind would be worthwhile in the southern Caucasus."@en1

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