Azerbaijan tops Eastern Partnership Index for sustainable development
By Mirsaid Ibrahimzade
Azerbaijan ranked first in the Eastern Partnership Index in achieving sustainable development goals, Trend reports referring to the Eastern Partnership Index.
The evaluation measures the sustainable development policies of the Eastern Partnership countries and the extent to which they have achieved the sustainable development goals defined by the United Nations.
The Sustainable Development Goals are the blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all. There are 17 goals that address the global challenges we face, including those related to poverty, inequality, climate, environmental degradation, prosperity, and peace and justice.
The indicators on which the evaluation takes place are the following: sustainable development policies, sustainable development goals, educational and cultural policies.
Azerbaijan (0.79) is followed by Belarus (0.78), Ukraine (0.77), Armenia (0.72), Moldova (0.57) and Georgia (0.57).
The report also assesses the index of convergence with the European Union, which is evaluated in two categories. The first one - convergence with the EU - reflects how each of the countries adopts EU norms and international standards.
In this category, Ukraine (0.73) ranks first and is followed by Armenia (0.66), Moldova (0.65), Georgia (0.64), Azerbaijan (0.56) and Belarus (0.52).
The second criterion shows how closely each of the countries is connected with the EU. It covers relations between governments, in the economy and among citizens.
Here Georgia and Moldova share the first place with the index of 0.71. They are followed by Ukraine (0.66), Armenia (0.50), Azerbaijan (0.47) and Belarus (0.45).
The Eastern Partnership is an initiative aimed at deepening and strengthening the EU's relations with six countries - Azerbaijan, Georgia, Armenia, Belarus, Moldova and Ukraine. In this framework, guiding the EU's relations with its neighbours is the EU’s Global Strategy and the revised European Neighbourhood Policy which call on the need to focus on increasing the stabilization and resilience of the EU's Eastern neighbours.
Within this framework, there is a joint commitment to deliver tangible results for citizensacross the region. In support of a more results-oriented approach towards the Eastern Partnership, the European Commission and European External Action Service identified 20 key deliverables for 2020.
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.
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