Azerbaijan, Baku, Dec. 10 / Trend E. Ismayilov /
The European Union may make a decision to launch negotiations with Azerbaijan on visa regime facilitation and readmission next months.
"Perhaps, the EU may decide to launch negotiations with Azerbaijan on visa facilitation and readmission for the next 2-3 months," Deputy Foreign Minister Mahmud Mammadguliyev told media.
Azerbaijan continues negotiating with the EU within the "Eastern Partnership" program. The next round of talks is planned to be held in Baku next January, he said.
Deputy Foreign Minister Mahmud Mammadguliyev will represent Azerbaijan at the ministerial meeting of the EU "Eastern Partnership" member-countries scheduled for December 13 in Brussels.
The meeting aims to analyze the work done for the current year within the program, to identify promising areas of activity, deputy minister told media.
Foreign Ministers will discuss preparations for the EU summit, scheduled for May in Budapest. Hungary will preside in the EU during the first half of next year.
The Eastern Partnership Program is a Polish-Swedish initiative under the EU Neighborhood Policy aimed at improving EU relations with six former Soviet countries Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova, Belarus, Ukraine and Armenia. The program envisages the allocation of 600 million euro to these countries until 2013 to strengthen state institutions, control borders and help small companies. The program's constituent summit was held in Prague on May 7, 2008.