Tbilisi hosts 4th international conference "Security in Southern Caucasus"

Tbilisi. 20 April. REPORT.AZ/ 4th international conference “Security in Southern Caucasus” started its work in Tbilisi.

Georgian bureau of Report News Agency informs, conflicts in Southern Caucasus, Black Sea region, perspectives of European Union and Eastern Partnership policy and other topics will be discussed at the conference.

President of Georgian Foundation for Strategic and International Studies Ekaterine Metreveli in her opening address told that ongoing conflicts in Southern Caucasus, along with thwarting regional development, can also cause more serious problems, including threats to security in Europe. The aim of the conference is searching ways of resolution of these conflicts and achieving their settlement through joint efforts of the international community.

Director of Slovakian STRATPOL Richard Turcsányi turned attention to security issues in Europe and told that existing conflicts in Southern Caucasus, Ukraine and other regions raise serious concerns.

Georgian prime minister Georgi Kvirkashvili in his speech at the conference underlined a special role of Southern Caucasus in ensuring energy security of Europe. He noted that today conflicts over South Ossetia, Abkhazia, Nagorno-Karabakh threaten not only security of Southern Caucasus, but also a whole Europe: “World community have to pay a special attention to these issues and these conflicts should be solved soon”.

Head of foreign policy department of Center for Strategic Studies under the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Javid Veliyev spoke at the conference.

He provided comprehensive report on existing conflicts in Southern Caucasus, especially on Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, brought to attention a principal fair position of Baku in this conflict. He noted that the events at the contact line of troops burst out in April 2016 showed that Azerbaijan is capable of liberating its lands in short term. But as the official Baku supports peace, it stands by peaceful resolution of the conflict. Talking about unconstructive attitude of Armenia, J.Veliyev told that separatist regime remaining in power in Armenia is a serious obstacle for resolution of the conflict.

The conference will continue until April 21.