ArmInfo.The Caucasus is now a testing ground for the EU policy in the context of what it can do with the region bordering on Russia, Georgia's President Salome Zourabichvili stated at the "Preserving international cooperation for a more peaceful future" as part of the Paris Peace Forum.
This year has showed the EU's completely new adherence to political stability in Georgia. EU President Charles Michel has visited Georgia three times in half a year and was immediately involved in stabilizing the country and ending a crisis there, the Georgian leader said. She also spoke of the hostilities in Nagorno-Karabakh. In the context of the ceasefire agreement, President Zourabichvili pointed out the EU's seeking mediation between Armenia and Azerbaijan. It is absolutely necessary as the conflict cannot be resolved by Turkey, Russia or any other authorities alone, Georgia's leader said.
As to what should be done in the Caucasus, President Zourabichvili stated the EU-Russia confrontation is erroneous and Europe has neither military power nor wish for that. On the other hand, the EU should demonstrate its important role and that it is not going to surrender.
Much is being talked about different formats, large-scale infrastructure projects to connect Europe with the Black Sea, the Caspian and Asia. No one has an exclusive right to this region -either Russia or Turkey or Iran. These nations are active and are showing interest in the region, but none of them has the economic potential to implement the large-scale infrastructure projects being talked about. Europe is the only actor having such potential. Besides the economic power, such an actor should have an idea of what it wants to achieve, of the steps to stabilize the region and of its present-day power. This power may be manifested in the implementation of a large-scale political project, Georgia's leader said. It could be an expansion project, she added.
President Zourabichvili stressed that the 2008 war showed that no one is going to interfere to protect Georgia.
Despite unequal forces and during and after the war, Georgia's major victory is retaining its European orientation, President Zourabichvili said