On 22 June 2004 Ambassador Heikki Talvitie, EU Special Representative for the South Caucasus, lead a Eurasia Strategy Seminar on "EU Policy towards the South Caucasus."
Ambassador Heikki Talvitie was appointed European Union Special Representative for the South Caucasus in July 2003. Since that time Ambassador Talvitie travelled extensively in Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan to identify areas where the EU can play a more prominent role together with other international actors. The EU’s greater commitment to the region is underpinned by the forthcoming inclusion of Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan into the European Neighbourhood Policy. Moreover, the region is playing an increasingly important role due to the development of Caspian energy projects and its strategic location between Wider Europe and Greater Middle East.
The mandate of the EU Special Representative is to contribute to the implementation of the EU's policy objectives, which include assisting the countries of the South Caucasus in carrying out political and economic reforms, preventing and assisting in the resolution of conflicts, promoting the return of refugees and internally displaced persons, engaging constructively with key national actors neighbouring the region, supporting intra-regional co-operation and ensuring co-ordination, consistency and effectiveness of the EU's action in Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan.
Ambassador Talvitie has held a number of diplomatic positions including Under-Secretary of State at the Finnish Ministry of Foreign Affairs 1993-96 and Ambassador of Finland in Belgrade, Moscow and Stockholm. He was co-chairman of the OSCE’s Minsk Conference on the Nagorno-Karabakh issue in 1995-1996 and has a wide range of experience in the South Caucasus.
