Azerbaijani, Ukrainian FMs mull bilateral relations
By Sabina Idayatova
Azerbaijani Minister of Foreign Affairs Elmar Mammadyarov and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Leonid Kozhara discussed the topical issues of Azerbaijani-Ukrainian bilateral relations and cooperation of the two countries within international organizations, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine said on July 23.
The ministerial meeting was held in Brussels within the framework of the fourth Eastern Partnership Ministerial meeting.
The Eastern Partnership Ministerial was headed by EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton and EU Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighborhood Policy Stefan Fule.
The meeting was attended by the foreign ministers of EU member states and the countries participating in the Eastern Partnership initiative and other senior officials.
The current status of the Eastern Partnership, up to date achievements since Warsaw Summit, the preparation and subsequent partnership perspectives of Vilnius Summit which will take place on November 28-29 topped the agenda of the discussions.
Azerbaijan-EU relations are based on the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement that was signed in 1996 in Luxembourg and came into force in 1999. In 2009, the EU foreign ministers gave the European Commission a mandate to start negotiations on the conclusion of bilateral association agreements between Azerbaijan, Georgia and Armenia on the one hand and the EU on the other. These agreements will serve as a new practical instrument to replace bilateral action plans.
Azerbaijan is also a part of the EU Eastern Partnership program adopted at the initiative of Poland and Sweden and approved at the EU summit in Brussels in 2008. It is aimed at improving EU relations with six former Soviet countries -- Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova, Belarus, Ukraine and Armenia.