Azerbaijan, Baku, Aug. 2 / Trend I.Khalilova /
Negotiations between the Government of Azerbaijan and the European Commission to sign association agreement will resume in September, Azerbaijani Deputy Foreign Minister Mahmud Mammadguliyev told Trend on Thursday.
"In September, video conferences will resume, which took place before leaving for summer vacation. If needed, we will hold a plenary meeting, but there is no exact date yet. The work is ongoing through video conferencing," the deputy minister said.
Association agreement includes four dimensions - political dialogue, including issues of security; justice and human rights; economic, social and humanitarian issues; and trade. Negotiations are conducted on all these dimensions.
The last dimension will create future opportunities for the export of Azerbaijani goods to EU countries. Azerbaijan has already enjoyed the benefits of duty-free export of several thousand types of products to EU countries, but, unfortunately, in this respect the main problem is the quality of goods.
Mammadguliyev said it is very important for Azerbaijan to prepare a quality document that will cover all aspects of the country's activities with EU for longer-term cooperation. So it's difficult to call the possible signing of the Association agreement.
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. However, the Government does not intend to artificially extend the signature time of Association agreement, as it will create a legal framework for further cooperation with the EU.
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 negotiations on association membership were launched in July 2010.
The EU intends to sign an agreement separately with each of the countries of South Caucasus, and its content will depend on the depth of cooperation with the EU. In addition, it is envisaged to sign a separate agreement on simplification of visa regime with EU countries.
On September 30, 2009 in Brussels, the foreign ministers of the three South Caucasus countries participated in the annual session of the European Council for Cooperation with South Caucasus countries. At this meeting a decision was made on the prospect for associative membership of the South Caucasus countries in the EU, which is the most effective stimulus for conflict resolution and internal reforms in these countries.