Azernews.Az

There is still a risk of conflict in the Caucasus region, as this region is not at peace, Georgian Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili said at the NATO Parliamentary Assembly's "Rose Roth" workshop in Tbilisi on Monday.

This conference is devoted to the issues of security in the South Caucasus.

"The topic of today's workshop is the South Caucasus and its problems," he said. "So I want to say a few words about the region. Our region has been formed as one of the most difficult parts of the process of post-Soviet transformation. Judge yourselves, there are two inter-state and three regional conflicts on this small area."

He added that none of these conflicts has any prospects for settlement.

"Until now, the mechanisms initiated by the international community did not bring practical results," he said. "Therefore, today more than ever the South Caucasus needs maximum involvement of the international community and targeted support."

"The consolidation of peace in the region is a common task," he said.

"We must make way for sustainable democratic development and fully use the enormous potential that exists in this strategically important region," he added.

The Prime Minister also touched on relations with Russia.

"As Russia always says, it wants to restore trade relations with the previous authorities, but the latter was blocking this issue," he said.

Large scale military action was launched in South Ossetia in Georgia on August 8, 2008.
Later, Russian troops occupied Tskhinvali and expelled the Georgian military. Russia recognized the independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia in late August. Tbilisi ended diplomatic relations with Moscow in response and has declared the two unrecognized republics of Abkhazia and South Ossetia occupied territories.

Ivanishvili said that Georgia does not intend to establish diplomatic relations with Abkhazia and South Ossetia.