The mandate of the EU Special Representative on the South Caucasus countries was expanded, Trend reports quoting Peter Semneby, the EU Special Representative on the South Caucasus countries, as saying at a news conference in Baku on Friday.
My mandate was particularly expanded for solution of frozen conflicts. I will follow all aspects of conflict situations and draw up recommendations for the leadership of EU, he stressed. Semneby stressed that EUs support in solution of the conflicts in the South Caucasus might consist of dispatching of observation missions, peacemaking forces or rehabilitation of territories.
Semneby also said that from 1 March 2006 the Office of the EU Special Representative on the South Caucasus countries would be removed from Finland to Brussels due to increase of interest in the region. It has two reasons. First, two countries will became member of EU soon. They both have access to the Black Sea that is very important. Besides, Turkey, bordering with the region, also holds negotiations on joining EU.
Second, EU continues implementation of the New Neighborhood program, which will include action plans for all three Caucasus countries. Action plan of none of the countries has been drawn up yet, he stressed.
Touching upon the 13 May by-elections to the Milli Majlis [Parliament], Semneby noted that even if EU did not make a decision on dispatching of observers, Brussels would expressed its opinion in this regard.
As to the settlement of the Nagorno-Krabakh conflict, Semneby stated that he believed in existence of chances of solution of the problem in 2006.
