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Paris hosts conference â€œIntegration of Azerbaijan into Europe: challenges and prospectsâ€

21 June 2012 08:53 (UTC +04:00)

The French people showing interest to Azerbaijan, experts, Azerbaijanis living in France, Azerbaijani and foreign students, journalists and other guests attended the conference.

AGAT chairwoman Gulsel Safarova informed the guests about her organization and said they were working for the development of Europe-Azerbaijan relations, intensification of youth activity in this field and strengthening cooperation with the European organizations. â€œToday France and Azerbaijan are closely working toward the strategic partnership. The initiatives of youth for the development of this cooperation should be supported and reach out new stages. Today, in this conference, we will research the extension of relations between our country and Europe, problems and prospects. France is an active and significant participant of the European public, political and cultural institutions. The development of relations between civil societies of France and Azerbaijan is very significant. Azerbaijan chose European integration as the main model of development. Our country achieved successes in the integration into European institutions and democratic values.â€

Azerbaijani Ambassador to France Elchin Amirbeyov spoke about the integration of Azerbaijan into Europe. Minister recalling the historical connection of Azerbaijan and Europe in the economy, culture and humanitarian spheres said that today Azerbaijan was completely sharing the values of Europe and Euro-Atlantic institutions. He informed the audience about the establishment of Azerbaijan Democratic Republic in 1918, its loyalty to democratic values and the close cooperation between Europe and the first democratic republic in the East. After that he made a short historic excursus on the cooperation with European institutions after the restoration of independence of the Republic of Azerbaijan. Diplomat also stressed that the main obstacle for Azerbaijan is the Armenian occupation of Azerbaijani lands and non-solution of Nagorno Karabakh conflict. Amirbeyov touching upon Azerbaijani-France relations underlined the significance of development of friendly relation between Azerbaijan and France within the European integration program.

Representative of the Center of Strategic Studies under the Presidential Administration Gulmira Rzayeva spoke about the Azerbaijanâ€™s oil and gas policy toward the integration into Europe and its contributions to European energy security.

Law Professor of Baku State University Fazil Zeynalov spoke about the legal aspects of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict and Armenian occupation policy.

Then the participants of the conference discussed other common themes. The participants shared different ideas and thoughts on such items as the role of Azerbaijan in South Caucasus, the relations with Turkey, Russia, Iran, and Georgia, as well as relations with France and Europe in educational sphere, the obstacles in the solution of Nagorno Karabakh conflict.