ABSTRACT
External actors have been the principal driving force behind pan-regional collaboration efforts and European organisations such as the EU have played a significant role. Over the past decade these organisations have sought to promote cross-border cooperation as a means of increasing stability and security in the South Caucasus, based on the EU model of peace and prosperity through economic, social and political co-operation and integration. The security challenges outlined in Chapter 3 have implications not only for stability in the Caucasus region, but also for Europe and the wider international community. As the EU and NATO have expanded their borders, it has become more important to focus on stability on the periphery, where the presence of weak or unstable states poses a threat to the security of member states. Energy security is a significant factor driving deepening international engagement with the Caucasus region, particularly that of organisations such as the EU and NATO, and their pursuit of energy security has encouraged genuine cross-border cooperation between states in the South Caucasus. As discussed above, the strategic partnership between Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey and their collaboration on export pipeline projects is considered to be a very good example of regional cooperation. Pipelines physically connect states, necessitating cross-border cooperation at all levels. However, the exclusion of Armenia from these projects also highlights a fundamental obstacle to panregional cooperation.
