Georgian President: South Caucasus Is Going Through An Important Changing Process

ISTANBUL - Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili said late on Saturday that south of Caucasus which was an important strategic and economic region was going through an important changing process.
Saakashvili delivered a speech at the panel on ''A New European-Atlantic Strategy for Black Sea'' which was held under ''NATO At a New Crossroads'' jointly organized by Turkish Economic and Social Studies Foundation (TESEV) and U.S. think-tank organization German Marshall Fund.
Stating that the region was face to face with four problems, Saakashvili listed those problems as resettlement of territorial and social integration in Georgia, fight against separatist practices and organized crimes in the country, establishment of a new relation on the basis of disarmament with Russia and democratization.
Saakashvili said that whole region was going through a change, noting that his country was pursuing a balanced integration policy in the European Union (EU) institutions and NATO.
Saakashvili stressed that further improvement of political and economic reforms, encouragement of regional cooperation and construction of a new security in Black Sea were of great importance for Georgia and the region.
(EÖ-BRC) 27.06.2004