EU special representative to the Caucasus steps down

The European Union’s special representative to the Caucasus, Philippe Lefort is stepping down today.

Lefort is stepping down five months before the end of his mandate, European news agency, European Voice, reported.

The reason for his early resignation has not been explained by Lefort or the European External Action Service.

Earlier this month Lefort made a controversial statement surrounding the status of Georgia’s breakaway regions, published in Russian media. At the January 20 meeting with South Ossetia’s de facto President, Lefort said: "South Ossetia's status as an independent state is real”.

"The status of South Ossetia as a virtually independent state has been determined by its people a long time ago. It is almost impossible to change this stance and this is the reality, with which it is necessary to learn to live and work, Lefort said.

The next day he clarified his statement saying "no one should distrust the European Union that it doesn't support Georgia’s territorial integrity.”

The comment was still ambiguous so the Georgian side addressed Lefort directly with EU leaders. Georgia’s Deputy Foreign Minister David Zalkaliani said Lefort did not strictly deny his misleading statement surrounding the independence of South Ossetia.

Finally, the Philippe Lefort reconfirmed EU’s unwavering support towards Georgia’s territorial unity and its policy of non-recognition of breakaway regions at the meeting with Georgian President Giorgi Margvelashvili.

In the European Voice report, diplomatic sources and others active in the Caucasus have spoken about a poor relationship between Lefort and Catherine Ashton, the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs & Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission.

One diplomat told the European newspaper that Lefort, who had previously served as an Ambassador to Georgia, had "even bigger problems in communication with Georgians”.

"Member states felt that it was important to signal support for Georgia's decision to strike political and trade agreements with the EU in November, as well as for conflict resolution in the region. Georgia's ambition to move closer to the EU is seen as leaving it vulnerable to additional pressure from Russia,” European Voice wrote.

The post of the EU special representative (EUSR) will be retained. The new appointee is expected to be given a mandate beyond June.