"The South Caucasus is offering great opportunities for full-scale regional cooperation. A part of the internationally recognized borders in the region - the Azerbaijani-Armenian border - has been restored. Georgia has always supported the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan and Armenia. On this basis, there are opportunities to unlock the regional potential in a new way,” Valeri Chechelashvili, a leading expert on the South Caucasus, said in an interview with the local bureau of Report.
According to him, Georgia can play a pivotal role in forming a stability and cooperation platform in the South Caucasus: “We have a strategic partnership with Azerbaijan and good-neighbourly relations with Armenia. Despite the years-long conflict between these two countries, strong Azerbaijani and Armenian communities have lived and continue to live together in Georgia. There was no confrontation between them on the ethnic ground. Incidentally, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev also touched upon this issue in one of his interviews. He said that if Azerbaijanis and Armenians live in a very peaceful neighbourhood in Georgia, why can they not live elsewhere? In my opinion, this is very correct and common sense. If such approaches prevail, there will be more opportunities in the region.”
V. Chechelashvili noted that Georgia can be a component of regional cooperation: "Of course, the main role in this process should be played by Azerbaijani and Armenian politicians. The future of the South Caucasus will depend on Azerbaijan, Armenia and Georgia. I hope that over time, the relations in the region will focus on stability, prosperity in all three countries and increase the attractiveness of the region's transit, tourism and investment potential as a whole. Not only the countries, but the whole region will benefit from this."