Comanescu: Frozen conflicts’ persistance pose great risk for regional security

Romanian Foreign Minister Lazar Comanescu on Wednesday, August 27 said that the persistence of the frozen conflicts poses a great risk for the regional stability.

‘What has happened in Georgia clearly proves that a sine die prolongation, the persistence of what we usually call frozen conflicts, pose a great risk for security and stability not only in the region where such conflicts occur, but also for the Euro-Atlantic security as a whole and beyond it,’ Comanescu said, after being heard by the joint defense and foreign policy commissions in the Senate on the events in Georgia.

He underscored that such frozen conflicts can any time become ‘hot conflicts, with unpredictable consequences,’ reason for which the efforts must be directed towards resolving these problems.

Comanescu said that a solution to these conflicts can only be found based on the observance of the Helsinki Final Act’s principles, highlighting that the territorial integrity of a state cannot be doubted.

‘Using the collective rights of minorities as instrument to deteriorate, affect the states’ territorial integrity, is unacceptable,’ Comanescu said.

Moreover, he said that the developments in Georgia clearly prove the absolute need for a stronger involvement of the EU and NATO in the international efforts to resolve these conflicts.

Comanescu said that immediate efforts must be directed towards granting humanitarian aid and towards the reconstruction of the Georgian economy and infrastructure. He drew the attention over the energetic component, adding that there is a concern for the fuel transport not be affected.

The Foreign Minister explained that Romania’s stand as regards the events in Georgia has been appreciated internationally.

At the beginning of the meeting, head of the Senate’s Foreign Policy Committee, Social-Democrat Mircea Geoana said that the two commissions had the initiative of the hearings, as they wanted to discuss about the implications the evolutions in Georgia have over the interests of the region and over Romania, adding that ‘a certain initial timidity and a certain slightly tardy reaction ‘of the Bucharest authorities as regards the conflict in Georgia has been noticed.

In turn, head of the Senate’s Defense Commission, Cristian Diaconescu, said that the parliamentarians also wanted an exchange of opinions as regards the way in which Romania is co-author of the decisions and stands of the EU and NATO, on security issues. AGERPRES