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Baku hosts international conference on Azerbaijan and European Neighborhood Policy

18 July 2007 16:02 (UTC +04:00)

The conference is supported by Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry, European House, Friedrich Ebert Foundation and Open Society Institute, APA reports. Deputy Foreign Minister Mahmud Mammadguliyev said that Azerbaijanâ€™s integration into Europe is one of the main dimensions of the countryâ€™s policy. He noted that recent activities have built the basis of legal and political cooperation between Azerbaijan and the European Union.
Cooperation and partnership agreement between Azerbaijan and European Union was adopted in 1996 and New Neighborhood Policy action plan was adopted in November, 2006.
10-item action plan covers protection of democracy and human rights, establishment of market economy and peaceful solution to the Nagorno Karabakh conflict.
Special envoy of European Commission to Azerbaijan Alan Waddams noted that European Union New Neighborhood Policy covers 12 countries. Along with the South Caucasus countries, it includes Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Moldova, Morocco, Palestine, Tunis and Ukraine. The Union plans cooperation with Algeria, Belarus, Syria and Libya. Alan Waddams said that â‚¬12 billion will be spent for the implementation of European Union New Neighborhood Policy in 2007-2013. European Investment Bank will allocate this fund. â‚¬12bn. will be allocated for building infrastructure in the above-mentioned countries. He underlined that the European Union is working on simplified visa regime with partnership countries in the framework of the New Neighborhood Policy.
Wolfgang Sporrer, coordinator of the Europa House in Azerbaijan said that Azerbaijan will share â‚¬92mln. out of â‚¬12bn allocated for the implementation of the new neighborhood policy in 2007-2010.
Parliamentarian Ali Masimov asked Mahmud Mammadguliyev whether European energy security will cast shadow on the other 9 principles. The deputy foreign minister mentioned that Azerbaijan and the European Union concluded a memorandum on energy partnership.
â€œIt covers conforming Azerbaijani legislation to European standards, implementation of these laws, development of renewable energy resources and access of energy resources to European market. Besides, cooperation in the spheres of education, agriculture and transport is also planned,â€ he said. /APA/