Baku, Azerbaijan, May 7
By Anvar Mammadov - Trend:
Progress is observed in the negotiations on a new agreement between the European Union and Azerbaijan, Deputy Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan Mahmud Mammadguliyev said at the 15th session of the EU-Azerbaijan Parliamentary Cooperation Committee in Baku.
Mammadguliyev noted that the negotiations started last year and successfully continue in 2018. According to him, the agreement covers three main areas - political security, trade and investment, and various sectoral issues.
"Compliance with commitments is very important for Azerbaijan. The fact that the EU supports the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan gives impetus to the development of cooperation between us," Mammadguliyev said.
The deputy minister stressed that today the cooperation between the EU and Azerbaijan in the energy sector is at a very high level, and therefore the non-energy sectors represent the greatest interest.
"One of the issues currently under negotiation is the further simplification of the visa regime between the EU and Azerbaijan. This step will benefit the people of both the EU and Azerbaijan, and the people of our countries will become closer to each other," Mammadguliyev said.
In November 2016, the EU Council issued a mandate to the European Commission and the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy to negotiate on behalf of the EU and its Member States a comprehensive agreement with Azerbaijan.
The new agreement should replace the partnership and cooperation agreement of 1996, which would make it possible to take greater account of the common goals and challenges facing the EU and Azerbaijan today.
The agreement will comply with the principles approved in 2015 in the document of the European Neighborhood Policy and will offer an updated basis for political dialogue and mutually beneficial cooperation between the EU and Azerbaijan.
At present, bilateral relations between the EU and Azerbaijan are regulated on the basis of the partnership and cooperation agreement, which was signed in 1996 and entered into force in 1999.
The new agreement provides for the approximation of Azerbaijan's legislation and procedures to the most important international and trade norms and standards of the EU, which should lead to improved access of Azerbaijani products to the EU markets.
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