Azerbaijan, Baku, July 31 / Trend S.Agayeva /
The next round of the negotiations on visa facilitation and readmission between the EU and Azerbaijan will be held in the autumn, Azerbaijani Deputy Foreign Minister Mahmud Mammadguliyev told Trend today.
"We will continue a video conference with EU officials in September," he said. "If there is a necessity we will hold plenary meeting. Specific data of the negotiations will be defined later." Two rounds have been held up to now.
The negotiations are aimed at simplifying the transit of Azerbaijan and EU citizens, the fight against illegal immigration and joint efforts to promote legal migration.
Agreement on the simplification of visa entry for citizens of Azerbaijan provides for a reduction of the list of documents submitted along with the application for a visa and the ability to issue multiple entry visas with a longer validity period thus reducing the cost of visas for particular categories and to establish time limits for processing an application.
The agreement on readmission will in turn, develop a mechanism for repatriation of those residing in the EU and Azerbaijan without permission.
Relations between the EU and Azerbaijan are being carried out under the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement which was signed in 1996 and came into force in 1999. In 2009, the Minister of Foreign Affairs for the EU Commission issued a mandate to start negotiations on the conclusion of the bilateral association agreements of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia with the EU. These agreements will be a new practical instrument to replace the bilateral action plans.
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 programme does not provide opportunities for EU membership, but involves facilitating the visa regime, energy cooperation and the introduction of free trade zones.