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On June 20 the work of the NATO PA Rose-Roth Seminar continued. The participants of the Seminar discussed Energy Security in the South Caucasus. Sverre Myrli, Chairman of the NATO PA Sub-Committee on Transatlantic Defence and Security Co-operation moderated the session and noted that the energy security was considered to be a key problem in terms of international and regional view.

Areg Galstyan, Deputy Minister of Energy and Natural Resources of the Republic of Armenia, in his speech has documented that the energy is of strategic importance for our country. The Deputy Minister presented the energy crisis, the industrial and ecological problems created in the country as a consequence of the shutting down of nuclear power plant after the collapse of the Soviet Union, afterwards the steps were taken in the spheres of energy and hydro-energy. Mr Galstyan presented the fundamental principles, on the basis of which later the RA Energy Security was founded. Touching upon the development of the natural gas sub-structures, the Deputy Minister has noted that capital repairs should be made for compliance of the natural gas stores with the international standards.

To Mr Galstyan’s conviction, the regional cooperation and integration is one of the important problems of Armenia’s energy. Introducing the statistical data of the regional cooperation, he has stated that the establishment of relations with the neighboring Turkey is expected in the sphere of energy.

In his speech Ara Marjanyan, President of E-cube, has expressed conviction that the security and energy are the important factors conditioned by the present and building the future. In the thorough report he presented the energy crisis of the 90s, the provisions of the RA energy security strategy, the regional geopolitical problems and the perspectives of the energy cooperation. In the context of the sphere development Mr Marjanyan has considered the most serious problem the blockade of Armenia by Azerbaijan and Turkey, as a consequence of which Armenia incurs considerable losses. The speaker has noted that Armenia even in this unfavorable situation is not inclined to yield; on the contrary, in this sphere Armenia implements a multi-vector cooperation. The elaboration of the present tariff system, the creation of the public electric transport integrated system, which, to the speaker’s conviction, will be of strategic importance for Armenia. To his conviction, the only real solution of having attainable electric power and mitigating the importing dependency is the building of new hydro-electric power stations (HEPS) on the Rivers Debed and Araxes, as well as the building of the fourth HEPS of Vorotan Cascade HEPS and hydro-accumulating station in Armenia.

Tracy German, Expert, King’s College, London touched upon the importance of the South Caucasus in the provision of energy security of Europe, the role of energy in boosting the regional cooperation and the impact of geopolitical realities going on in the region on the energy security. To his conviction, the energy security is closely related to the problems of national security. Underlining that there is necessity of the establishment of stability in the region Mr German has highlighted the cooperation of the countries of the region in implementing the programs concerning the energy security, noting that Armenia has been driven out of the South Caucasus energy projects, which brings about a feeling of insecurity and disturbs the stability.

The representatives of Germany, Italy and England were interested in the regional cooperation in the sphere, the programs being implemented, problems of producing and importing energy, about which the rapporteurs presented their observations.

The last session was held moderated by Tevan Poghosyan, Member of the Delegation to the NATO PA, within the framework of Political Developments and Civil Society in the Region.

Sergey Minasyan, Deputy Director of the Caucasus Institute, talked about the role of the civil society in the political processes, particularly, in the context of the NK problem settlement. He has conditioned the impossibility of reaching peace in the conflict settlement by the political situation, the absence of the political will and the low level of mutual trust. He highlighted the involvement of the civil society in the process of the settlement.

Mr Minasyan also touched upon the role of the civil society and the tendencies of the development of political processes in Georgia.

Dennis Sammut, Director of LINKS Analysis and Oxford University, noted that during the last decade the three countries of the region had common historical past and managed to have an impact on each other in the course of time. He presented the last tendencies of the development of the political processes in Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia and made parallels between them, talked about the regional conflicts, electoral processes and constitutional reforms. He introduced the tendencies of the development of the civil society in the countries of the region. Speaking about the last parliamentary elections held in Armenia, the speaker has stated that it has provided plurality in the country, which is a good basis for building the future. In this context the rapporteur has noted that the same cannot be said in case of Azerbaijan. “I am an optimist as I can see one tendency: we have a young generation of new quality in the region, who cannot accept the past and the present and demands more quality and administration, which is an important guarantee for future,” Mr Sammut noted.

During the Q & A session the members of the Delegation to the NATO PA Tevan Poghosyan and Elinar Vardanyan, the RA NA Deputy Araik Hovhannisyan tried to get clarifications about the involvement of the civil society in the process of the conflicts’ settlement, their role in the non-recognized states and the importance of showing a special approach towards the countries of the region. The key rapporteurs introduced their positions.

Summing up the work of the Rose-Roth Seminar the Head of the Delegation to the NATO PA Koryun Nahapetyan emphasized the holding of the Seminar concerning the South Caucasus. Talking about the problems regarding the security and stability, he highlighted the making of the efforts aimed at the establishment of enduring peace in the South Caucasus, underlining the parliamentarians’ role in that issue. Mr Nahapetyan has noted that Armenia is actively involved in all events being held within the NATO PA framework. The Head of the Delegation has documented that Armenia will make efforts for deepening the cooperation with the European and Euro-Atlantic structures.

Touching upon the regional problems Koryun Nahapetyan has stated that the region has numerous problems and conflicts, underlining that the MPs should unite their efforts for solving them. He spotlighted the comprehensive settlement of the NK conflict in the OSCE Minsk Group format. Speaking about another challenge, the problem of the closed border, Koryun Nahapetyan opined that we should call on the Turkish MPs to make additional efforts in order the Armenian-Turkish border would be open, and NATO would not have closed border with Armenia.

Talking about the implementation of democratic reforms in the South Caucasus, Mr Nahapetyan has expressed conviction that different countries of the South Caucasus are at different levels of democratic development and has expressed hope that the partner MPs will objectively present the situation in the countries of the South Caucasus.

The Head of the Delegation to the NATO PA has documented that if the Delegation of Azerbaijan presents claims not corresponding to the reality or voice non-objective questions concerning the NK or the RA foreign policy in the documents of the Assembly, then Armenia's behavior will be unchanged: it will continue defending its interests.

Summing up the work of the Seminar, the Head of the Delegation to the NATO PA Koryun Nahapetyan thanked all the participants for effective and constructive discussions.

Hugh Bayley, former NATO PA President, highlighted the three-day discussions, noting that without such discussions and dialogue it is not possible to reach effective solution of the problems. He has noted that Armenia has an important role not only for the countries of the region, but also for Europe, and the cooperation with Armenia stems from bilateral interests. In Mr Bayley’s word, Armenia cannot only be interested in the EU from geopolitical and geographical view, and it is wrong to place the RA before a dilemma: either Brussels or Moscow. “We should find a way for comprehensive development of the relations,” he said. Summing up the results of the Seminar, Hugh Bayley thanked the Armenian side for organizing the event at high level.