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<p>The South Caucasus region, while currently relatively stable, is home to three
unresolved conflicts and continued internal and external political tensions. As a
result, the risk of renewed instability remains real.</p><p>In Georgia, the UK supports
the work of the EU Monitoring Mission; it continues to play a valuable role in helping
to reduce tensions along the boundary lines of the breakaway territories of Abkhazia
and South Ossetia. However we remain concerned about “borderisation” along the administrative
boundary lines of the breakaway regions which only serves to exacerbate tensions in
the area. The recent change of power in Abkhazia is concerning, but we are relieved
that events have unfolded peacefully. We hope the acting de facto authorities respect
the rights of all people in Abkhazia, in particular ethnic Georgians living in the
Gali region.</p><p>The UK is also concerned by on-going ceasefire breaches between
forces along both the line of contact in Nagorno-Karabakh and the Armenia-Azerbaijan
borders. It is disappointing that as we pass the twentieth anniversary of the 1994
cease-fire agreement between the conflicting parties, a sustainable, agreed settlement
is still not within reach. The UK supports the work of the OSCE Minsk Group's Co-Chairs
in their attempts to find a peaceful solution to the conflict and introduce confidence
building measures which will help de-escalate tensions.</p><p>The UK remains committed
to conflict resolution work in the South Caucasus. This financial year, the Conflict
Pool has allocated £3m to projects in the South Caucasus that will build capacity
of local communities to prevent and resolve conflicts.</p>
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