South Caucasus is a critical region burdened with persisting unresolved conflicts

PanARMENIAN.Net - "South Caucasus is a critical region burdened with persisting unresolved conflicts. Its frozen conflicts continue to represent a serious threat to the peace and stability in the region," Turkish President Abdullah Gul said in his address to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe.



"These conflicts provide a major impediment to the region-wide co-operation initiatives. They are also undermining prospects for prosperity of the future generations. Therefore, the solution of these conflicts constitutes one of the most important and urgent issues in the South Caucasus and beyond. Peaceful solutions should also meet the Azerbaijani and Georgian legitimate concerns over their territorial integrity and sovereignty.



Turkey's approach to the South Caucasus is shaped by its genuine desire to establish a comprehensive cooperation in the region. The contribution of all three South Caucasian states would be most preferable," he said.



"Turning to South Eastern Europe, the crisis unleashed by the disintegration of former Yugoslavia is back to where it started two decades ago, in Kosovo. Turkey has acted together with the international community in the settlement of Kosovo's final status.

In South Eastern Europe, our focus now must be not on where we were, but on where we would like to head. The issues confronting the region call for bilateral and multilateral cooperation among the Balkan states," Gul said.