The foreign ministers of Austria, Romania and Lithuania, Alexander Schallenberg, Bogdan Aurescu and Gabrielius Landsbergis, have concluded a whistle stop tour of the three South Caucasus countries, during which they had discussions with the leaders of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia in their respective capitals.
The visit was agreed by the EU Foreign Affairs Council in May, and the three ministers were sent out as special emissaries of EU High Representative for Foreign and Security Policy, Josep Borrell. They were accompanied during the visit by the EU Special Representative for the South Caucasus, Toivo Klaar.
commonspace.eu political editor said in a comment that this was a small but important gesture with the purpose of sending a clear message to the region, and to others interested in it, that the European Union remains committed and engaged:
"There has been concern expressed in recent months, particularly in the aftermath of the 44-day Karabakh War, that the EU was being elbowed out of the South Caucasus because it had not shown enough commitment to the region and its problems. The visit was symbolic. The three ministers came, they saw, but in fact said very little, except to reiterate some key messages that had already been expressed by Brussels. Yet their visit means that the South Caucasus is and will continue to be, high on the EU's agenda. In the three capitals the Ministers also heard from the leaders of the three South Caucasus countries, readiness to consolidate and deepen relations with the EU. Certainly all three countries have their own nuance in their understanding of this relationship. But the prospect of regional co-operation with EU support now looms on the horizon and the Ministerial visit sends a clear message of the EU's commitment to support this process going forward"