Azerbaijan, Baku, Oct. 22 / Trend E. Ostapenko /
The South Caucasus region is important for Europe, Asia and all the word in terms of common security, diversity of energy resources and cultural diversity, PACE former president Peter Schieder said today at the opening of the symposium on international relations on the topic "South Caucasus in a Changing World".
"The Council of Europe recognized the South Caucasus region's importance by accepting all three countries - Azerbaijan, Georgia and Armenia - into the organization. Democracy in these countries is young; it's approximately 18 years old. In light of the South Caucasus region's important role in the international system, international organizations appoint special representatives to the region," he said.
According to Schieder, everyone agrees with the Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev's statement which he made at the 65th session of the UN General Assembly, saying although Azerbaijan's territory is under occupation, the Government succeeded in securing democratic development and the country's economic development. Today Azerbaijan is the most developed country in the region.
Baku hosts annual Symposium "South Caucasus in a Changing World" Oct.22-23. The main goal of the meeting is the development of regional relations and cooperation.
The symposium is attended by over 150 foreign and local experts.
The topics of discussions include: "Global challenges in a regional context," "Regional security challenges - conflicts and post-conflict developments," "Emerging economic trends in the South Caucasus - the future of IT and energy," Foreign Policy in the Caucasus: strategies and choices".
A book will be published on the results of the two-day discussions, which will include research materials on above-mentioned topics. The publication will be distributed to the scientific and think tanks worldwide.