Azernews.Az

BAKU – Relations between the European Union and Azerbaijan are "at the highest level", European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso told a press conference with President Ilham Aliyev in Brussels on Wednesday, according to the Azerbaijani president's website.

Barroso said he discussed with President Aliyev the Eastern Partnership program, the European Neighborhood Policy and democratic development in Azerbaijan.

Barroso mentioned the importance of the Baku Declaration on the Southern Corridor.

President Barroso visited Azerbaijan in mid-January 2011 when an important strategic document - Joint Declaration on the Southern Gas Corridor was signed, with which Azerbaijan committed to supplying substantial volumes of gas over the long term to the European Union.

Barroso said the time has come to resolve the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno Karabakh conflict.

Aliyev said Azerbaijan is a reliable partner of the EU, and the meeting comprehensively covered issues of energy policy.

"There is an active dialogue between the EU and Azerbaijan," he said.

The president said the bilateral agenda was extensive, and this meeting focused on many issues.

Aliyev said it is important to resolve the Karabakh conflict within the internationally recognized territorial integrity of Azerbaijan. Refugees and internally displaced persons must return to their homes in the nearest future, he added.