EU, Azerbaijan satisfied with ongoing negotiations
By Nigar Orujova
The Cooperation Council between the European Union (EU) and Azerbaijan expressed satisfaction with the ongoing negotiations on the Association Agreement, visa facilitation and readmission agreements between EU and Azerbaijan at its fourteenth meeting in Baku on October 1.
Deputy Foreign Minister Mahmud Mammadguliyev expressed hope that legal procedures would be accelerated to sign these documents in the Eastern Partnership summit to be held on 28-29 in Vilnius, Lithuania.
The EU delegation composed of experts from the European External Action Service (EEAS) and European Commission led by Gunnar Wiegand, Director of Russia, Eastern Partnership, Central Asia, Regional Cooperation and OSCE unit in EEAS.
The sides also exchanged views on peace talks over resolution of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, and discussed the key areas of bilateral and multilateral cooperation within the Eastern Partnership Initiative.
The Council discussed cooperation on transport, energy, and education, as well as the Southern Energy Corridor project. In this regard, Azerbaijan's important role in provision of Europe's energy security and diversification of energy supplies was noted.
The event also mulled views on pre-election situation, as well as work done to strengthen democracy, human rights and freedom of press in the country.
The agreement on visa simplification is expected to be signed in November and the simplified regime will be applied immediately after the signing and enactment of the agreement.
After this agreement, visa relations between EU and Azerbaijan will be extremely liberalized and the complete abolition of visa regime could become the next step.
The agreement will cut the number of documents for getting a visa, visa charges and the opportunity to get long-term and multiple-entry visas. Azerbaijani citizens, who intend to visit relatives living in Europe, will benefit certain privileges.
Azerbaijan and the EU launched official negotiations on visa facilitation in March 2012 in Baku.