THE CAUCAUS:  CO-OPERATION FOR STABILITY

The GFSIS, with the support of the Sasakawa Peace Foundation (Tokyo), the Government of Finland, the US Department of State and the Friedrich Ebert Foundation, organised and implemented an international conference, entitled “The Caucasus:  Co-operation for Stability,” which was held at the Courtyard by Marriott Tbilisi Hotel on 19-21 October, 2007.  
 
With words of welcome delivered by Nino Burjanadze, Speaker of the Parliament of Georgia, and officially opened by Zurab Noghaideli, Prime Minister of Georgia, the conference was attended by over 150 participants and guests from the South and North Caucasus, the region’s neighbours in Russia, Iran and Turkey and representatives from Japan, Israel, Western Europe and the United States from within local, regional and international governmental, non-governmental and inter-governmental organisations and bodies. 
 
 
The conference offered presenters the opportunity to express their views on and from the countries of the South Caucasus, the North Caucasian republics, the regional and international institutions and the roles of the regional powers whilst giving participants the chance to ask questions, voice concerns and to engage directly and actively within the discussion.

“It is important to construct a co-operative relationship throughout the region, particularly amongst the countries of the South Caucasus,” said Mr Yohei Sasakawa, Chairman of the Nippon Foundation (Tokyo) in his opening address.  “This is vital for continued peace and stability.”

 
“This event is a very good beginning for us,” said Dr Alexander Rondeli, GFSIS President, in his closing words on the final day of the conference.  “We are especially delighted to have the presence and participation of our North Caucasus neighbours since these occasions happen so rarely.  We need to think—now that this conference has ended and which, by all accounts, has been a remarkable success—of our next steps forward.  And this must include both sides of the Caucasus divide working together.”
 
The conference ended with a trip to Tsinandali, Kakheti, for an afternoon of sightseeing and a farewell dinner.  The proceedings of the five sessions, to include the full texts of each of the presenters in English and Russian, are currently pending finalisation and publication.

The list of participants

Conference programme

Conference documents in English

 Conference documents in Russian