Azernews.Az

BAKU – Prospects of the EU-Azerbaijan cooperation will be discussed at the next committee meeting on cooperation between Azerbaijan and the European Union in Baku on Sept. 23.

The agenda includes the issues of cooperation, particularly in the energy sphere, and democratic process.

Relations between the EU and Azerbaijan began in 1990 with the launch of the European Commission's support for CIS countries in the framework of the TACIS program.

The EU and Azerbaijan signed a partnership agreement, which became effective in 1999. Cooperation has also been effective within the European Neighborhood Policy, initiated in 2003.

In May 2009, the Azerbaijani-EU relations entered a new phase, within the framework of the EU Eastern Partnership Program initiated by Poland and Sweden.

The Eastern Partnership is aimed at the political and economic rapprochement of six post-Soviet states - Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia, Moldova, Ukraine and Belarus - and the EU. The program does not provide opportunities for EU membership, but involves facilitating the visa regime, energy cooperation and the introduction of free trade zones.