Envoy: EU one of Azerbaijan's main trade partners
By Sabina Mammadli
European Union is one of the main trade partners of Azerbaijan, EU Ambassador to Azerbaijan Peter Michalko told at a news conference on May 4 to mark the Europe Day in Baku.
"The EU is one of Azerbaijan's main trade partners, which accounts for 51 percent of exports," Michalko noted.
The ambassador added that trade figures have significantly improved compared to the period before the coronavirus pandemic, and there is potential for further growth.
He also noted that the ties between the EU and Azerbaijan have strengthened even more since last year, which was marked by the visits of Charles Michel, Oliver Varhelyi, and the participation of President Ilham Aliyev in the Eastern Partnership summit in Brussels last December.
Furthermore, Michalko stressed that energy cooperation between the EU and Azerbaijan has the potential for further expansion.
"The energy sector is one of the important areas of cooperation between the EU and Azerbaijan, along with successfully developing trade relations," he said.
According to him, the Southern Gas Corridor is one of the largest projects between the EU and Azerbaijan, an example of a successfully developing partnership in this sector.
"The energy partnership between the EU and Azerbaijan also extends to the renewable energy sector. Green energy is one of the important areas for both the EU and Azerbaijan," Michalko added.
During the meeting, he stated that the EU is providing all possible support for peace in the South Caucasus.
"The EU continues to actively encourage the normalization of relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia," Michalko said.
According to him, the union is also one of the strongest supporters of the de-mining activities in Azerbaijan's liberated lands. He noted that it provides technical assistance to the Azerbaijani National Agency for Mine Action (ANAMA) in mine-clearing operations in Karabakh.
He added that the next package of assistance to Azerbaijan in de-mining the liberated territories is being prepared.
According to him, the volume of the current package is 2.5 million euros.
The ambassador emphasized that the work on a new agreement between the sides continues, expressing confidence that it will bring bilateral relations to a new level.
The ambassador also noted that the ties between the EU and Azerbaijan have strengthened even further since last year, which was marked by the visits of Charles Michel, Oliver Varhelyi, and the participation of President Ilham Aliyev in the Eastern Partnership summit in Brussels last December.
Further, Michalko pointed out that the EU intends to support media in Eastern Partnership.
Noting that the EU is already supporting journalists in Azerbaijan through trainings, the ambassador stressed the importance of the recently adopted law "On media" in Azerbaijan.
"I mentioned the importance of this law at meetings with the government of Azerbaijan. We continue to closely monitor its implementation," he said.
Michalko also congratulated reporters on World Press Freedom Day.
The EU and Azerbaijan cooperate in different fields of economy.
The EU invested over $21.5 billion in Azerbaijan’s economy from 2012 to 2021. Azerbaijan’s trade turnover with the EU amounted to $9.3 billion last year, which is 38 percent of the country’s foreign trade. The Delegation of the European Commission to Azerbaijan was opened in Baku in February 2008.
Azerbaijan started commercial gas supplies to Europe through the Trans-Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) on December 31, 2020.
A joint statement on energy cooperation with the EU was signed more than 10 years ago. The EU-Azerbaijan energy cooperation had reached a new level and is still ongoing within the framework of the Southern Gas Corridor. The EU places a high value on energy supply diversification, and the Southern Gas Corridor is particularly important in this regard. In 2021, European countries purchased 8.2 billion cubic meters of gas, with an increase in volume expected in years to come.
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