Azernews.Az

Top European Union officials voiced expectations of further democratic development in Azerbaijan after holding talks in Baku on Monday.
"In particular, some issues encourage us to continue working in this country, with one of them being the release of the jailed journalists," said the EU "troika" - the organization's chairman-in-office, Slovenian Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel, its commissioner for external relations and European Neighborhood Policy (ENP) Benita Ferrero-Waldner and the French Foreign Ministry official Jacques For whose country will chair the EU next year.
Rupel said Brussels was intensely watching progress in Azerbaijan's implementation of its commitments assumed within the ENP.
Ferrero-Waldner said the 27-member union was expecting the country to advance along the path of democratic development. "We would like for Azerbaijan to be a model of democratization for the region."
The commissioner said that although a number of economic reforms have been implemented in the country, the key issue - facilitation of the business climate - is still rather questionable.
With regard to the windfall of oil revenues, the EU official pointed out the importance of spending considerable revenues from the energy sector properly and transparently. These efforts, she said, would allow to reduce the poverty level.
The EU "troika" said further that one of the pivotal issues on the agenda was Europe's energy security. It therefore called on Azerbaijan to give an incentive to the project on the NABUCCO pipeline that will help rid Europe of dependence on Russian gas.
Ferrero-Waldner said Europe would work to improve the relations between Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan to materialize the NABUCCO project, which envisions exports of Turkmen gas through Azerbaijan and Turkey to energy-thirsty European markets, by-passing Russia. A "troika" will be appointed on Central Asia as well to discuss the project, she said.
"We have already signed memoranda on cooperation with Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan. There will be one with Turkmenistan as well. We would like to hope that this issue will move forward," Ferrero-Waldner added.
Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan have been facing tension since 1997 due to the dispute over the legal status of the Caspian Sea, a source of huge hydrocarbon reserves and valuable caviar stocks.
Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov said Baku was ready to cooperate if Central Asian states sought to use his country's energy infrastructure.
The $6bn NABUCCO project envisions building a 3,300-km pipeline with the annual capacity of 31bn cu. m. under the Caspian Sea.
During their meetings in Baku, the EU representatives also tabled the Armenia-Azerbaijan Upper (Nagorno) Garabagh conflict as well as issues of security and human rights. They are expected to further travel to Georgia and then to Armenia as part of their visit to the region.

EU office opens
The European Union's representation opened in Azerbaijan on Monday. The development will be of great importance for the country, the EU commissioner Ferrero-Waldner told the opening ceremony.
"The office will promote further development of the EU-Azerbaijan cooperation," she said.
Then speaking EU chairman Rupel said the office would greatly contribute to increasing public awareness about the organization in the country.
Deputy Prime Minister Abid Sharifov, addressing the event, said the representation would play a great role in the implementation of Azerbaijan's commitments to the EU. He also pledged that his government would render all-rounded assistance in its operation.
The European Commission's envoy Alan Waddams who had headed the European House in Azerbaijan for over two years has been appointed as head of the newly-opened EU office. The European House that has operated in the country since 2002 will now shut down and be replaced by the new representation.