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Head of EU Delegation hosted at Western University

12 May 2011 11:39 (UTC +04:00)

At the meeting organized within the program â€œHour of Ambassadorâ€, the diplomat spoke about the European Union, its institutions and organizations, EU-Azerbaijan relations. The event was also dedicated to Europe Day celebrated in the European countries on May 9. Europe Day is held in commemoration of the Schuman (French foreign minister Robert Schuman) Declaration of 9 May 1950. The declaration proposed the pooling of French and West German coal and steel industries, leading to the creation of the European Coal and Steel Community, the first European Community, which led to the creation of European Union.

Kobia said this union was established after the World War Two. He also emphasized that EU understands the problem of Azerbaijan. â€œWe understand the problem of Azerbaijan relating to the Nagorno Karabakh conflict because Europe also faced with such conflicts. Europeâ€™s choice was search for cooperation instead of confrontation. Thin union created opportunities for free travels and free economic zones and right to working in any European country. It didnâ€™t prevent the identity and national traditions of each country. â€œUnited in Diversityâ€ is the motto of the European Union.

Kobia also spoke about the programs TRACECA, INOGATE, TEMPUS carried out within the cooperation between EU and South Caucasus countries. He said EU proposed basic freedoms, cooperation and peace to the regional countries. â€œEU has been working together with Azerbaijan since 1992 and I frequently hear that EU is interested only in energy cooperation with Azerbaijan. It is not so. The energy issue is on our agenda, but not only the energy issue. If it was so, we wouldnâ€™t come here in 1992 when the energy was not on agenda. There is a large political agenda between EU and Azerbaijanâ€.

The ambassador emphasized the importance of diversification of Azerbaijanâ€™s economy. â€œYour country has rich natural resources. But according to the reports of the International Agency for Economic Development, oil production will be reduced in Azerbaijan 10 years later and diversification of the economy is within the interest of Azerbaijanâ€.

Answering the question of the students about Turkeyâ€™s membership to EU and prospects of Azerbaijanâ€™s membership, Kobia said the religious factor had no impact on this issue. â€œThe situation is changed in Europe today. A lot of Muslims live in France and other European countries and there is a lot of mosques thereâ€.