New head of EU mission to Baku appointed
By Amina Nazarli
Kestutis Jankauskas has been appointed as the Head of the EU Delegation to Azerbaijan, the EU External Action Service reported.
Jankauskas replaced Malena Mard on this post.
The High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy/Vice-President of the European Commission, Federica Mogherini, has announced the appointment.
Jankauskas is currently serving as the Head of the EU Monitoring Mission (EUMM) in Georgia.
The EU with a total population of more than 500 million people is Azerbaijan's biggest economic partner accounting for the country’s 38 percent of foreign trade share.
Currently, over 1,300 European companies operate in Azerbaijan.
To date, Azerbaijan has signed double taxation avoidance agreements with 23 EU countries and agreements on the promotion and protection of investments with 17 EU countries. Moreover, Azerbaijan has intergovernmental commissions with 13 countries and has signed strategic partnership agreements with seven EU countries.
Currently, the talks are underway between Azerbaijan and the European Union on the new strategic partnership agreement.
The new agreement should replace the 1996 partnership and cooperation agreement and should better take account of the shared objectives and challenges the EU and Azerbaijan face today.
The agreement will follow the principles endorsed in the 2015 review of the European Neighborhood Policy and offer a renewed basis for political dialogue and mutually beneficial cooperation between the EU and Azerbaijan
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