Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 16
By Emil Huseynli - Trend:
The EU is ready to start consultations on an agreement on strategic partnership with Azerbaijan, Head of the Azerbaijani Mission to the EU and Ambassador to the Kingdom of Belgium and Grand Duchy of Luxembourg Fuad Isgandarov told Azerbaijani reporters in Brussels.
It was earlier reported that instead of an association agreement, Azerbaijan put forward an initiative of concluding an agreement on strategic modernization partnership with the EU. This document is an action plan, aimed at expanding our cooperation with the EU. The agreement will determine new areas of partnership, such as education and other areas.
"Azerbaijan has introduced a draft agreement to the EU on strategic partnership in anticipation of the EU Riga summit," he said. "The EU delegation will arrive in Baku for talks before late 2015."
The diplomat also said that in early 2016, the EU senior representative will visit Azerbaijan to discuss development of bilateral relations.
At present, the bilateral relations between the EU and Azerbaijan are regulated on the basis of an agreement on partnership and cooperation, which was signed in 1996 and entered into force in 1999.
Today, the EU is the main trade partner of Azerbaijan.
According to the Azerbaijani State Customs Committee, the share of European countries in the Azerbaijani foreign trade is 46.8 percent in January-October 2015. At present, some 30.51 percent and 59.23 percent of Azerbaijani imports and exports account for the EU countries respectively.
