Brussels, 16/06/2014 (Agence Europe) - On Saturday 14 June, the European Union and Azerbaijan signed an agreement on Azerbaijan's participation in EU programmes. “This will allow our cooperation to range from science and education to environment protection, consumer policies or health”, said European Commission President José Manuel Barroso.
Barroso underlined that the EU wants to enlarge and deepen its relations with Baku. He thus hoped to conclude the strategic modernisation partnership with this Eastern Partnership country in the coming months.
Barroso highlighted that the EU and Azerbaijan should build their reliable strategic partnership in the area of energy in order to move towards “a long-term association, grounded on democracy and shared values, in particular fundamental freedoms”. In addition, Barroso announced that he had “explained very openly” to Azerbaijan's President Ilham Ayliev that the EU believes that “multi-party democracy, open societies and open economies are the best way to achieve stability and prosperity”. “A thriving civil society is essential for a thriving democracy”, he added. Certain fringes of civil society are currently subject to a crackdown in the country, however.
Barroso and Ayliev also discussed the issue of energy - including the Southern Gas Corridor. “We have discussed ways to accelerate and expand the Southern Gas Corridor and we agreed that this will be our mutual priority for the coming year”, Barroso stated. Azerbaijan is one of the EU's main partners in energy.
The two presidents also discussed Nagorno-Karabakh, over which Azerbaijan and Armenia are at loggerheads. “The EU considers that stability in the Southern Caucasus cannot be achieved without a fair resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. The status quo is unsustainable”, Barroso reiterated. (CG)