Azernews.Az

Sefan Fule, European Union Commissioner for Enlargement and Neighborhood Policy, who is visiting Baku, has said it was important to hold a fair and transparent parliamentary election in Azerbaijan this fall.
Addressing a joint press conference after meeting Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov on Friday, Fule said: "I have met here with representatives of different layers of society and a number of opposition parties. During these very effective discussions, I enquired about the views of various political parties. Based on all this, I am stating the importance of a transparent and fair conduct of the forthcoming elections."
The commissioner expressed confidence that Azerbaijan’s pertinent bodies will do everything in their power to ensure that the November vote meets the standards of fair elections.
Mammadyarov said that as an OSCE member state, Azerbaijan is ready to consider all of the organization’s proposals.
Fule also said he had effective discussions with President Ilham Aliyev.
The commissioner’s discussions in Baku centered on issues including the Eastern Partnership, the EU framework for cooperation with its Eastern partners, the parliamentary elections and the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict over Upper (Nagorno) Garabagh.
Fule said the EU supports efforts of the OSCE Minsk Group brokering talks on Garabagh settlement, voicing confidence that progress will be achieved in the peace process soon.
The EU official said the bloc was preparing to take steps aiming to promote confidence building in the conflict resolution, but he did not elaborate on the planned activities.*