Azernews.Az

By Sara Israfilbayova

The European Union may use the approach and system of operation of Azerbaijan’s ASAN service and ABAD public legal entity in its projects.

Kestutis Jankauskas, head of the EU delegation to Azerbaijan, made the remarks at a signing ceremony of a project to support family business facilities of Azerbaijan on December 13 in Baku.

Jankauskas stressed that the work of ASAN was also seen as exemplary by the Deputy High Representative of the EU for External Relations and Security Policy Jean Christophe Bellard , during his visit to Azerbaijan, and the work carried out by ABAD in support of the business of rural families confirms this.

On 23 September 2016, “Simplified support to family business” (ABAD) under the State Agency for Public Service and Social Innovations operating under the President of Azerbaijan (ASAN) was created in order to support the active participation of citizens in the social and economic development of the country, the development of small and medium-sized enterprises, and increase of employment of the population.

To date, ABAD has helped 72 families in 17 regions of Azerbaijan to realize their small projects.

“The EU has already supported the ABAD projects, in particular in the Masalli region, and the fact that the farmer can bring his products to the major chains of stores demonstrates the importance of such projects, since without them, it would be much more difficult for rural producers to sell their products,” he said.

He went on to say that the purpose of the EU, with the participation in such projects, is the disclosure of the huge potential of the regions of Azerbaijan.

The UN Resident Coordinator in Azerbaijan Ghulam Iskhakzai, in turn, pointed out that establishment of ASAN in 2012 was an important step in the anti-corruption measures of Azerbaijan, solving many social issues.

In his opinion, ABAD projects in the regions make producers, sellers and buyers of products of small family farms closer.

Further, during the ceremony, a document of a joint project to support family business facilities in Azerbaijan’s Sheki-Zagatala economic zone has been signed by representatives of the EU, ASAN and the UN Development Program (UNDP).

Rufat Elchiyev, Head of the ABAD center, told reporters that up to 30 families in Azerbaijan’s Sheki-Zagatala economic region will receive support for the development of family business facilities within the project.

He said that the project will be completely implemented in 2020 and will serve the implementation of the UNDP in Azerbaijan, adding that the families participating in the project will be able to manufacture products under their own brand.

Elchiyev also noted that the project is far from being the last one in the plans of ABAD center, and that in the future, the center plans to work on projects in the field of tourism, in particular, concerning hostels.

The project organized by the EU, the ASAN and the UNDP aims at developing family business in Azerbaijan’s villages. In total, $1.074 million were allocated for the implementation of the project.

Azerbaijan is currently part of the European Neighborhood Policy, Eastern Partnership and the Council of Europe, and is a large recipient of aid and infrastructure investment from the EU.

Formal relations with the EU began in 1996 when the EU-Azerbaijan Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA) were signed. This agreement entered into force in 1999.This agreement marked the beginning of a mainly positive relationship between Azerbaijan and the EU, with both sides benefitting from the relationship.

Now the EU and Azerbaijan are holding negotiations on a new agreement that will replace the old one.

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