Azerbaijan, Baku, June 21 / Trend, M. Aliyev /
The 11th meeting of the EU-Azerbaijan Parliamentary Cooperation Committee ended in Baku today.
EU-Azerbaijan Parliamentary Cooperation Committee Co-Chairman Milan Cabrnoh said at a press conference after the meeting that since the 10th session (December 2009) many events have happened in Azerbaijan -- the parliamentary elections, Azerbaijan's representation in Euronest and its Eurovision victory.
He said during two-day discussions the sides exchanged views on human rights -- gratitude was expressed for Eynulla Fatullayev's release, as well as the EU statement made earlier was discussed.
"During the discussion of the Nagorno-Karabakh problem, we once again expressed the EU position on resolving this conflict, and stressed that the conflict should be resolved based on principles of territorial integrity and the people's right to decide its fate,"
Cabrnoh said.
"He said the EU considers Azerbaijan as its close partner, and the EU President Barroso's last visit to the country is evidence of it.
EU-Azerbaijan Parliamentary Cooperation Committee Co-Chairman Valeh Alasgarov said at the press conference that relations in economic, political and social spheres were discussed during the two-day meeting between the EU and Azerbaijan.
"The discussions covered combating organized crime, human trafficking, drug smuggling, as well as money laundering," Alasgarov said.
The Azerbaijani side made an initiative to regularly hold such events, he said.
Regarding Azerbaijan's EU membership Cabrnoh said that this issue is not a topic for discussion yet.
Until Azerbaijan's territorial integrity is ensured and the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is resolved fairly, the issue on Azerbaijan's EU membership cannot be raised, Alasgarov said.
The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict should be rapidly resolved, because the resolution of this problem conditions the development of the entire region, Cabrnoh said. The conflict does not prevent the expansion of energy cooperation between the EU and Azerbaijan, he said.
Alasgarov said Azerbaijan expects an equal partnership from cooperation with the EU.