The Region Cannot Belong to Just One: Not to Russia, Not to Turkey, and Not to Iran – Georgian President

“What should be done in the Caucasus? Confrontation with Russia is not the right approach. Europe lacks both military power and desire for that, but at the same time, it must show that it is an important actor and will not yield its place,” stated Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili at the peace conference held in Paris, as reported by Aliq.ge.

Zourabichvili emphasized in her speech that the region cannot exclusively belong to any one actor: neither to Russia, nor to Turkey, nor to Iran.

“Today, the Caucasus is a testing ground for EU policy regarding what can be done in relations with Russia. This year, we witnessed a completely new commitment from the EU concerning the political stability of Georgia,” said Zourabichvili, highlighting the involvement of Charles Michel, President of the European Council, in overcoming Georgia’s domestic political crisis.

“Moreover, while it is already late, a war has occurred, and a ceasefire agreement has been signed, there is a desire from the EU to mediate between Armenia and Azerbaijan, which is necessary, as this conflict cannot be resolved only by the authorities of Turkey, Russia, or any other country,” the Georgian president added.

Addressing the new realities of the region, President Zourabichvili noted: “Today, we see that these countries are active and have the legitimacy and interest to be in this region. However, none of these countries have the economic capabilities to implement the large infrastructure projects that everyone is talking about. Europe is the only one that has that power. Besides economic strength, it needs to have a vision for what it wants to achieve: a vision for stabilizing the region and an understanding of what its strength is today.”