Philippe Lefort has been appointed as the European Union Special Representative (EUSR) for the South Caucasus and the crisis in Georgia from 1 September 2011 until 30 June 2012. Mr Lefort has replaced Pierre Morel who had served as EUSR for the crisis in Georgia until 31 August 2011 and Peter Semneby who had served as EUSR for the South Caucasus until 28 February 2011.
Philippe Lefort’s appointment and mandate are set out in Council Decision 2011/518/CFSP.
The mandate of the EUSR for the South Caucasus is based on the policy objectives of the European Union for the South Caucasus. These objectives include: to prevent conflicts in the region, to contribute to a peaceful settlement of conflicts in the region, inter alia the crisis in Georgia and the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, by promoting the return of refugees and internally displaced persons and through other appropriate means, and to support the implementation of such a settlement in accordance with the principles of international law. The mandate also consists of engaging constructively with the main interested actors in the region, encouraging and supporting further cooperation between Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia, and, as appropriate, their neighbouring countries; as well as enhancing the Union’s effectiveness and visibility in the region.
