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Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt: â€œWe must all encourage Azerbaijan and Armenia to find a peaceful solutionâ€ - EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt: â€œWe must all encourage Azerbaijan and Armenia to find a peaceful solutionâ€ - <font color=red>EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW </font>

12 September 2011 10:04 (UTC +04:00)

- This year you paid first official visit to Azerbaijan. How do you estimate the results of the visit, and what are the prospects of development bilateral relations between Sweden and Azerbaijan?

- The visit provided an excellent opportunity for me to engage with Azeri partners in a dialogue on a broad set of issues, both bilateral and pertaining to the to EU agenda. One important message from the Azeri side was their continued commitment to internal reform and integration with the EU. We also talked about the need for Azerbaijan to step up its efforts in the fields of human rights, democracy and good governance. I reminded the Azeri Government of the importance of the upcoming Eurovision Song Contest in this respect. In the coming year the European audience, and especially the younger generation, will pay much more attention to Azerbaijan, and the clear expectation will be that Azerbaijan lives up to the high European standards in respecting the fundamental rights of its citizens. I had the opportunity to reiterate these points in talks also with representatives of civil society and the political opposition.
As far as the bilateral agenda is concerned, there is a great potential for increased cooperation. Our trade and commercial links should be developed further. During my visit, I also took good note of a strong wish to work together in the education sector, something that has already resulted in a visit of a Ministerial delegation to Sweden. With our common history linked to the BraNobel heritage, we have a firm basis for developing our bilateral ties. Incidentally, the Eurovision Song Contest is a good illustration of successful Azeri-Swedish cooperation!

- How does Sweden assess the ongoing developments on Nagorno-Karabakh conflict in the region? Do you believe that there were sufficient efforts to advance the peace process although the negotiations went into deadlock?

- Clearly, the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is a cause for serious concern, with implications not only for the two countries involved, but for the entire region and the international community. We must all encourage Azerbaijan and Armenia to find a peaceful solution, and Sweden supports the efforts of the Minsk Group. But it is fundamental to point out that peace cannot be achieved in the negotiating rooms only. The two parties will have to refrain from aggressive rhetoric and instead build support for peace among their populations. The EU must support the process and demonstrate to the peoples in the region that there are important gains to be made from pursuing a peaceful path.

- How do you evaluate the economic cooperation of Azerbaijan and the European market? What is the most attractive for Swedish investors in Azerbaijani market?

- There is scope for increased economic cooperation between EU and AZ, also to encompass other sectors than energy. The accession of AZ to the WTO and a free trade agreement with the EU could facilitate closer cooperation.
A growing interest in Azerbaijan among Swedish investors can be discerned. As of today, only a few Swedish enterprises are present in the market. TeliaSonera and Ericsson are some examples. Sweden hopes to develop closer business relations with Azerbaijan. We are planning for a visit of a Swedish trade delegation before the end of the year. Since the energy sector is of prime importance to the Azeri economy, there is great scope for cooperation in green energy technology, energy efficiency and renewables.

- What is your opinion on promotion of the â€œEastern Partnershipâ€ program, considering that Sweden was one of the initiators of it?

- The Eastern Partnership aims to strengthen and deepen contacts and cooperation with the six Eastern European countries, including Azerbaijan. The EaP â€“ with EU integration at the core - is a clear expression of solidarity and long-term engagement from the EUâ€™s side. Moreover, the EaP has helped mobilize attention to the Eastern neighborhood amongst EUâ€™s 27 member states. With the EaP, the EU as a whole has renewed its focus on Eastern Europe and has rallied around an ambitious agenda for the countries in question. The EaP has firmly placed the Eastern partners at the top of the EU agenda â€“ and rightly so.
With the EaP, the countries in question are offered greater political and economic integration with the EU. In return, the countries must adhere to the values that underpin the European cooperation and progress on internal reforms. The up-coming second Eastern Partnership Summit on 29-30 November in Warsaw will be a good opportunity to take stock of progress made so far, and to set new policy goals for the future.