The working group, comprising 25 members of municipalities will be formed shortly in the framework of the project on establishing the Association of the National Municipalities of Azerbaijan (ANM), a member of the Congress of local and regional self-administrations of the Council of Europe (CE), a representative of the Popular Party of Europe Wim Van Gelder told a news conference on 16 September 2005 in Baku.
В"We hope setting up of ANM will give impetus to improvement of the legislative base of Azerbaijan. Undoubtedly, it will not be easy to form the Association”, Wim Van Gelder said, noting, the basic thing is the support from Azerbaijan itself.
The expert noted, at the same time, representatives of all Azerbaijan’s political parties will be involved in the working group, which will enable to make its job “democratic”.
В"If the recent visit of the CE Secretary General Terry Davis to Baku was aimed at ensuring the democracy formation at the nationwide level, РђNРњ enables to develop democracy directly on spots”, the CE expert underlined, noting Azerbaijan signed an European Charter of the Local Self-administration, according to which establishing the Association of the National Municipalities is mandatory.
It should be noted ANM will be created till the end of 2007 under the direct support of the government of Norway.