Letter: Talking point

Conflict resolution talks being held at Traquair House between Turkey's ruling AKP party and the pro-Kurdish Peace and Democracy Party demonstrate the role that Scotland can play as a world centre for peace and reconciliation (your reports 30 July).

As with the likes of Norway - which has played a key role in Israeli-Palestinian conflict resolution and acted in Sri Lanka - this further demonstrates the role that small countries can play in conflict resolution.

Under the auspices of the South Caucuses Parliamentary initiative, Angus Robertson MP helped to broker a major conference between parliamentarians from Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia in his Moray constituency in 2003 - the first ever such meeting - to discuss the dispute over Nagorny Karabakh. Scotland also acted as host for Professor John Erickson's famous "Edinburgh Conversations" - an important meeting place to build trust and confidence between the West and Soviet Union during the Cold War.

A Centre for Reconciliation and Conflict Resolution, based in Scotland and taking advantage of our world-class expertise in mediation, would be an excellent contribution to promoting peace efforts.

ALEX ORR

Leamington Terrace

Edinburgh