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Group of international analysts and Congress members recommended Obama Administration to build upon over a decade of cooperation with Georgia, Azerbaijan and Turkey

19 October 2011 14:07 (UTC +04:00)

Washington. Isabel Levine â€“ APA. The group of top international analysts and some Congress members, leaded by Senators Jeanne Shaheen and Lindsey Graham recommended Obama Administration to build upon over a decade of cooperation with Georgia, Azerbaijan and Turkey, which resulted in the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan and Baku-Supsa oil pipelines and the Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum natural gas pipelines, to develop a new Southern Corridor to help Europe diversify their supplies of natural gas by securing imports from Azerbaijan and Central Asia, APAâ€™s US correspondent reports.

In their Road Map report on Georgia, which were announced at the Washington DC-based Atlantic Council, the analysts underlined that if the EU moves forward with plans to build a gas pipeline to Azerbaijan, Georgia should use the opportunity to strengthen its cooperation with the EU and reinforce its position as a key transit country that shares Europeâ€™s strategic interest in diversifying its energy supply and thus strengthening regional energy security.

The Washington, DC analysts believe that by improving neighborly relations, including supporting diplomatic efforts in conflict zones such as Nagorno-Karabakh, Georgia can accrue much-needed political capital in the region and bolster its security.

â€œGeorgia faces critical tests at homeâ€“parliamentary elections in 2012 and a presidential contest in 2013â€”and mounting external pressure as Russia occupies Abkhazia and South Ossetia and seeks to destabilize Georgiaâ€, reminds the report, adding, â€œagainst this background, Georgia must demonstrate its commitment to further its democracy, and the US and Europe must redouble their efforts to support it, including at the May 2012 Chicago NATO summitâ€..