Azernews.Az

By Amina Nazarli

Azerbaijan is interested in building its relations with the European Union based on mutually agreed priorities.

Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov made the statement addressing a meeting of foreign ministers of the Visegrad Group (V4) and the Eastern Partnership (EaP) countries in Budapest on August 31.

Stressing that Azerbaijan has been a reliable EU partner, the minister noted that growing number of strategic partners among the EU member states and V4 Group inspires the country to advance dialogue with the EU under the same conditions.

“We are interested in progressing our bilateral track through speedy negotiations on a new strategic agreement with the EU. Since official launch of the negotiations back in February we have engaged in a productive and constructive dialogue within different blocks of the agreement,” the FM said.

Baku and Brussels are holding the negotiations on a new agreement on strategic partnership, which must replace the partnership and cooperation agreement signed in 1996 and must more take into account the common goals and challenges facing the two sides.

Mammadyarov further emphasized that priority-driven cooperation tailored to the economic potential and specific goals of each country would be more efficient in realization of the principles of differentiation, flexibility, focus and greater ownership.

“The EU-Azerbaijan Partnership Priorities will translate these goals into concrete areas of cooperation,” he said.

The minister reminded that, first of all, Azerbaijan is a key enabler of the $45-50 billion Southern Gas Corridor (SGC)– largest infrastructure and energy project in Europe with the aim of bringing alternative gas to the European markets. SGC with potential of meeting up to 20 percent of EU’s gas demand in the future is unique project of energy diversification, as we will observe diversification of routes and sources. Moreover located on the strategic crossroads of East and West Azerbaijan is open to potential initiatives on expansion of inter-regional energy connectivity and bringing Central Asia closer to European energy architecture.

“Second, unique participatory framework of the SGC - involving diverse stakeholders from EaP region, as well as EU member states and candidate countries may be deployed in other areas of common interest, particularly transport, via exploring synergies for establishment of new transport-transit routes connecting Europe and Asia, Europe – South and North – South,” he said.

Today Azerbaijan in involved in implementation of several major transport projects to promote East-West and North-South corridors, according to Mammadyarov, who informed that this week Azerbaijan along with four other countries signed an agreement in Kabul on Lapis Lazuli Corridor – new transit route projected to transport goods to European markets.

The minister continued that promotion of the mobility and people-to-people contacts is an important dimension of the EU-Azerbaijan interaction.

“We do believe that the successful implementation of readmission and visa facilitation agreements should pave the way for launching the dialogue on visa liberalization between EU and Azerbaijan,” he said.

Mammadyarov went on to say that the revised ENP has put forward the stabilization as the most urgent challenge in many parts of the European Neighbourhood. True stabilization is unimaginable without the settlement of protracted military conflicts which threaten the stability and cooperation in the EaP geography.

“It is already third decade that Armenia – a member of the EaP has been using force against the sovereignty and territorial integrity of another member of the EAP and continues to keep the one-fifth of Azerbaijan’s internationally recognized territories under military occupation. Armenia carried out notorious ethnic cleansing on all seized lands of Azerbaijan which totally contradicts to the code of conduct adopted in Europe and the world. The unlawful presence of the armed forces of Armenia in the territories of Azerbaijan remains the main cause of violence in the conflict zone and is the major impediment to political settlement of the conflict,” he said.

The minister emphasized that failure to eliminate consequences of the ongoing violation of the principles of international law, as well as misinterpretation and selective application of these principles in the context of the conflict resolution undermines rules-based European order.

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Amina Nazarli is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @amina_nazarli

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