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Peter Semneby: â€œThe EUSR shares the hope of the mediators that Armenia and Azerbaijan will be able to make concrete progress before the end of 2009â€

30 September 2009 15:52 (UTC +04:00)

Baku. Victoria Dementyeva â€“ APA. European Union Special Representative for the South Caucasus Peter Semnebyâ€™s visit to Azerbaijan ended. APA reports quoting EU representation in Azerbaijan that as part of his regular consultations with the Azerbaijani authorities, the EU Special Representative Peter Semneby met during his visit to Baku with President Ilham Aliyev and Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadiyarov. The European Union Special Representative had an open exchange of views with the Azerbaijani authorities on the relations between Azerbaijan and the European Union. The Eastern Partnership programme, which creates a new framework for the relations between the European Union and six countries of its Eastern neighbourhood, was discussed. The European Union and Azerbaijan can bring their relation to another level through the Eastern Partnership which offers all partner countries the prospects for deeper bilateral engagement in the form of a possibility to conclude Association Agreements. Association Agreements will provide for the establishment of free trade areas, where the positive effects of trade and investment liberalization will be strengthened by regulatory approximation leading to convergence with EU laws and standards. The European Union will also develop Comprehensive Institution-Building Programmes individually with each partner country in order to improve their administrative capacity, including through training, technical assistance and any appropriate innovative measures.

The EUSR discussed human rights related issues with his Azerbaijani interlocutors, including a number of concrete cases. The EU was encouraged by the discussion that was recently initiated to decriminalise defamation. The EUSR also discussed with his Azerbaijani interlocutors the Turkish-Armenian normalisation process and its implications for Azerbaijan. The EU has welcomed the agreement between Turkey and Armenia to start internal consultations on the bilateral protocols. The EUSR outlined with his Baku interlocutors the EUâ€™s vision of the South Caucasus, where the opening of all borders would enhance peace, security and stability and permit the region to develop its full economic potential.

The issue of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement was also touched upon by the EU Special Representative during his visit. The European Union supports the work being conducted by the three co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk group and praises the increased efforts of the sides to try to get their positions closer to an agreement. The EUSR shares the hope of the mediators that Armenia and Azerbaijan will be able to make concrete progress before the end of 2009.