The Russian-Georgian conflict currently dominates the political agenda and experts are making various policy proposals on how to resolve the conflict and prevent the Georgian population from further harm. Given the latest renewal of cold war vocabulary, the role of the EU has not received a lot of attention ever since the cease-fire agreement between Georgia and Russia was signed. But the EU has the capability to be the key mediator in the conflict, as Mr. Klose, member of the German parliament and the advisory board of Atlantische Initiative, pointed out at the latest panel discussion about the war in Georgia hosted by the German Council on Foreign Relations (DGAP).

The varied perceptions and interpretations of the Russian and German academics and journalists on the panel as well as those of the (Georgian) people in the audience make it apparent that mediation is desperately required.

Walerij Fafejew, editor of the magazine Expert, accused the United States of being the real cause of the conflict and of systematically abusing the ethnic conflicts in the Caucasus in order to strengthen its own position in the region. In his opinion, President Saakashvili would not have attacked South Ossetia if it had not been for the US supplies to the Georgian army. Furthermore, he called for the independence of both Abkhazia and South Ossetia. The other participants from Russia backed this approach.

Vjatscheslav Nikonov, head of the Foreign Committee of the Russian Civil Chamber, stated that Russia had to intervene in order to protect "its citizens" in South Ossetia and that its actions are justified by international law. German participants, on the other hand, interpreted the reaction of the Russian army as an aggressive act. Contrary to Mr. Fafejew's view, Uwe Halbach, German Institute for International and Security Affairs, argued that in spite of support for the Georgian president, the Caucasus is not a focus in US foreign policy. According to Mr. Halbach, it is crucial that in the future Russia accepts the sovereignty of former Soviet states.

Unfortunately, no speaker from Georgia took part in the panel and therefore the Georgian perspective was not expressed during the discussion. But in the question and answer section several people from the audience criticized the Russian narration of events, which illustrates the ambiguity of the dispute.

Given the gap between the Western and Russian positions confidence building measures and a jointly made determination of the conditions on the ground are needed. In this regard, Dr. Henning Riecke, DGAP, referred to the NATO-Russia Council. This institution offers opportunities to cooperate and thereby give support to resolving conflicts, but clearly cannot bring about a solution alone.

It is also noteworthy that the Georgian war had a huge impact on the relationship between NATO and Russia. NATO's aspirations to find a strategic partner in Russia fell apart due to the Russian response to Georgia. On the other hand, Russian participants emphasized that NATO poses a danger to Russian security. Obviously, NATO`s direct involvement in the conflict contradicts its qualification to moderate negotiations.

On the other hand, the EU is successfully engaged in the region and is, unlike NATO, not one of the involved parties. Mr. Klose stressed the ability of the EU to serve as a mediator in the Caucasus. This might be a surprising notion, but shortly before the presidential elections, the US is not capable of acting effectively. Furthermore, nobody knows who will be the next president. It is still possible that John McCain will move into the White House. He is known to be very critical of Russia and it is therefore likely that with him as president, relations between the US and Russia would deteriorate. The EU, on the other hand, is famous for its skillful use of diplomacy and EU mediation might therefore be the most successful approach to resolve the conflict. The question, if these talks should also include representatives of the people in Abkhazia and South Ossetia arised, but could not be answered finally.

In addition to the use of diplomacy, Dr. Riecke mentions that the EU could also send peace-keeping forces to the Caucasus.

Next Monday, a special European summit on the crisis in Georgia will take place. Hopefully, the EU will recognise its moment of opportunity.

Related materials from the Atlantic Community:

• Ulf Gartzke: Georgia's Recklessness Pays off With NATO
• Andreas Umland: Russian Citizenship: Moscow's Tool for Recollecting the Empire's Lands
• Matthew Derek Crosston: Transatlantic Unity Should Not Isolate Russia