By Mark Winkler MSG (GEAF)
Minister of State Gernot Erler (r) answers questions
posed by the conference participants.
(Photo by Mark Winkler, GCMC)
For the second time in a row, the Caucasus region was a topic in the series of conferences held once a year by the George C. Marshall Center, in conjunction with the German Federal Foreign Office in Berlin.
“And this is for a profound reason,” Minister of State Gernot Erler emphasized during his opening address. “The five-day war in August 2008 showed how rapidly a seemingly ‘frozen conflict’ can turn into an acute military dispute.”
Minister Erler also referred to the second flashpoint in the region.
“The conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan has also started to show movement. However, in this case the signs are positive, partly due to the incipient rapprochement between Turkey and Armenia.” At the same time, Erler doubted whether a solution was within reach there, as this was still being hindered by public maximum demands and the participants’ unwillingness to compromise.
Over the next three days, the conference participants discussed regional challenges and attempted to find potential solutions to these challenges in guided working groups. However, the working groups once again confirmed that the potential for discussion exceeds the ideas for possible solutions.
“The conference achieved its aim, despite the different viewpoints of the participants,” confirmed Col. Dr. Karl-Heinz Rambke, director of the Outreach Program Directorate. “This seminar is part of a long process towards a solution.”
“I am firmly convinced that the situation in the Black Sea region will improve in the years to come,” Colonel Rambke said.
Rambke hopes that the next generations will take new approaches, and cites German reunification as grounds for his opinion. “In the early 1990s, not all West Germans were able to come to terms with the new German citizens,” he said. “Nowadays, the situation has essentially become normalized, and our next generation will no longer draw any kind of distinction between the East and the West. I anticipate a similar situation in the Caucasus.”
Seeking solutions together
(Photo by Mark Winkler, GCMC)
In addition, this conference has further strengthened the cooperation between the Marshall Center and the German Federal Foreign Office.
“We will continue this cooperation in 2010,” Colonel Rambke said.
Dr. Rafael Biermann, the German deputy dean at the George C. Marshall Center, who acted as a moderator at this conference, is also convinced that the event was a success.
“We are offering a platform for discussion here, and are promoting trust between nations through practical cooperation in the working groups,” Dr. Biermann said.
According to Dr Biermann, both of these aspects functioned extremely well.
The situation in the Black Sea region is very complex. This was also confirmed by the seminar participants.
“Some participants complained that the European Union has launched too many different initiatives in the Caucasus region, and is not pursuing them as vigorously as it could,” Dr. Biermann said.
However, the deputy dean is also hopeful about the future situation in this bridge between the East and the West.
In conclusion, Dr Biermann added with a quiet smile that he, personally, was satisfied with the course of the negotiations: “As a moderator, I already consider it a success that no one left the room in indignation. Surely that counts for something!?”
