Azerbaijan, Baku, June 14 / Trend, M. Aliyev /
Talks on visa regime facilitation between Azerbaijan and the European Union will begin in the near future, Head of EU Delegation, Ambassador Roland Kobia told journalists on Tuesday.
He said that the EU now expects that a mandate be granted, emphasizing that Georgia is a positive example in this regard.
"The EU wants to facilitate the movement of people between Europe and Azerbaijan, and this requires both sides' efforts," Kobia added.
Relations between the EU and Azerbaijan began in 1990 with the launch of the European Commission's support for CIS countries in the framework of the TACIS program.
The EU and Azerbaijan signed a partnership agreement, which became effective in 1999. Cooperation has also been effective within the European Neighborhood Policy, initiated in 2003.
In May 2010 Azerbaijani-EU relations entered a new phase, within the framework of the EU Eastern Partnership Program initiated by Poland and Sweden.
The Eastern Partnership is aimed at the political and economic rapprochement of six post-Soviet states - Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia, Moldova, Ukraine and Belarus - and the EU. The program does not provide opportunities for EU membership, but involves facilitating the visa regime, energy cooperation and the introduction of free trade zones.
The next summit of the Eastern Partnership member countries' heads will be held in Poland in September. The President of Azerbaijan will also be invited to the summit, Kobia said.