Brussels, 01/03/2016 (Agence Europe) - During the visit of High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini to Baku on Monday 29 February, she stated that the European Union and Azerbaijan are continuing their work on a new bilateral agreement.
“We are trying to improve our relations and to develop them to their full potential thanks to a new bilateral agreement. The consultations for such an agreement began with a view to future discussions with the EU member states on a mandate”, Mogherini stated at a press conference with Azerbaijan's Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov. Baku put forward its proposal for a modern strategic partnership agreement last May. Mammadyarov stated that his country was interested in signing this agreement “as quickly as possible”.
Mogherini also said that Azerbaijan, for which the EU is the main trading partner and one of the biggest investors, had the potential to become one of the EU's main trading partners. In her view, progress in the negotiations between Baku and the WTO would pave the way to an open and competitive trading environment and to more economic integration between the EU and Azerbaijan. “We agreed in general to strengthen our cooperation on the economic reforms that the Azeri authorities are implementing to diversify their economy”, Mogherini added.
She also stated that the resolution of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, a region over which Azerbaijan and Armenia are in dispute, was “an absolute priority” for the EU, and she called for the talks to be stepped up at high level. “The conflict has no military solution and needs political settlement, in line with international law”, she said, adding that it was also necessary to renounce action on the ground and the conflictual rhetoric that increases tension and undermines the peace process. The European Union supports the OSCE proposal aimed at creating an investigation mechanism, she stated. Mogherini also underlined the importance the EU puts on the respect of human rights and fundamental freedoms, including the freedom of expression and association. She added that she had invited the Azeri authorities to establish a new relationship of trust between the government and civil society, making reference to many journalists and human rights campaigners who were in prison (see EUROPE 11501). (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)