Azernews.Az

By Amina Nazarli

A mandate to start negotiations on the new EU-Azerbaijan Strategic Partnership Agreement may be issued until end of 2016.

Mahmud Mammad-Guliyev, Azerbaijan’s Deputy Foreign Minister announced about this in an interview with Trend on November 4.

“Azerbaijan doesn’t interfere in internal discussions of the EU, and Europe itself considers all issues,” said Mammad-Guliyev commenting on the issue. “I don’t think that there is any negativity from the EU about the new agreement. Europe can always propose to make changes.”

Currently, bilateral relations between the EU and Azerbaijan are regulated on the basis of an agreement on partnership and cooperation that was signed in 1996 and entered into force in 1999.

Azerbaijan initiated to sign an agreement on strategic modernized partnership with the EU instead of the agreement about association. This is not a legal document, but rather a program, a plan of action aimed at the expansion of cooperation with the EU beyond energy. The new agreement will define new directions of partnership such as education and other spheres.

The new agreement envisages the compliance of Azerbaijan’s legislation and procedures with the EU’s most important international and trade norms and standards, which should lead to the improvement of Azerbaijani goods’ access to the EU markets.

The deputy foreign minister said that the parties held several joint consultations and video conferencing on the new agreement.

A number of visits to Azerbaijan from the EU are expected in the near future, but these visits aren’t related to the mandate, he noted.

Relations between the EU and Azerbaijan are developing in a positive way and the parties continue to negotiate within the framework of the existing cooperation mechanism, he said.

“Once the mandate is issued, bilateral relations will further deepen. A meeting of subcommittees has been held recently and suggestions have been made that we will consider,” noted the deputy foreign minister. “The next meeting of the subcommittee on energy, ecology and transport will be held in December and subcommittees will end their work with it.”

He added that relations between the sides’ parliaments are also developing dynamically and these relations will further develop.

“If we sign the agreement, our cooperation will be much stronger,” said Mammad-Guliyev.

Currently, the EU is Azerbaijan’s major trade partner. The share of European countries in Azerbaijan’s foreign trade was 37.12 percent in January-September 2016, according to Azerbaijan’s State Customs Committee.

Currently, European countries account for 27.89 and 45.87 percent of Azerbaijani import and export, respectively. European countries mainly deliver vehicles and transportation equipments to Azerbaijan and import oil products.

Mammad-Guliyev further touched upon the common aviation area between the EU and Azerbaijan, saying that reaching out an agreement in this direction would open up huge opportunities between the parties.

However, the deputy foreign minister did not specify the terms of its signing.

The agreement will increase the number of flights in Europe, according to him, and will expand humanitarian and tourist relations between Europe and Azerbaijan. Moreover, it will open opportunities to carry out flights in completely new directions.

Mammad-Guliyev said that the new agreement would increase contacts and expand the boundaries between the parties and constantly exchange experience.

The Open Skies agreement is aimed at liberalizing the air transport market between the parties and will simplify the process of organizing flights between the EU and Azerbaijan and will promote the growth of the number of commercial flights.

The deal provides for the elimination of state interference in business decisions on routes and pricing of the airlines, which allows operators to provide more accessible and efficient services for passenger and cargo services.

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

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