Azerbaijan, Baku / corr Trend K.Ramazanova / A delegation of the European Parliament is holding meetings in Baku with representatives from the civil society and journalists of Azerbaijan.
The visit is held within the framework of the 8th meeting of the Committee on Interparliamentary Cooperation of the European Union - Azerbaijan.
The European delegation led by Marie Anne Isler Beguinm fro m France, includes Arpad Duka- Zolyomi from Slovakia), Alessandro Battilocchio, from Italy, Marian-Jean Marinescu from Romania, Lydie Polfer from Luxemburg and Johannes Swoboda from Austria.
The meeting is centered on the freedom of word, transparency in the parliament. A meeting of the Committee and a news conference will be held at the Milli Majlis [Azerbaijan Parliament] on 12 September, whereas a meeting with the Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev is also on schedule.
On 13 September meetings will be held with the Ministers of foreign affairs, defense, justice, the Chairman of the Caucasus Muslims Clerical Board, as well as leader of the Azerbaijani community of Nagorno-Karabakh. The European parliamentarians intend to meet with journalists in custody and representatives of the Forum of Azerbaijani students in Europe.
A new conference will be held on 14 September with the participation of representatives from the Cabinet of Ministers of Azerbaijan and the UN High Commissariat for Refugees, visit to Sumgayit, meeting with representatives of BP Azerbaijan, and tour of the Sangachal oil terminal.
The meeting will discuss an Agreement on cooperation and partnership between the EU and Azerbaijan, the current state of cooperation within the framework EU's European Neighborhood Policy, as well as energy partnership. The agenda of discussions include the political situation in Azerbaijan and constitutional issues, the 2008 presidential elections, democratic reforms, human rights, freedom of word and press, legal reforms, Azerbaijan's obligations in the sphere of stable development. Moreover, it is planned to mull economic development of the country, environmental protection, social issues and poverty reduction, energy security in the Asian and Black Sea regions. The meeting will also focus on the resolution of the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh.
The previous 7th meeting of the committee was held in Strasbourg on 13-14 December 2006. The committee was established in 1996 and is comprised of Azerbaijani MPs and members of the European Parliament.