Brussels, 26/03/2009 (Agence Europe) - At the request of rapporteur Daniel Caspary (EPP-ED, Germany), MEPs decided on Thursday to postpone their vote on the EP position vis-à-vis the coming into effect of the interim agreement with Turkmenistan. This agreement, negotiated in 1998 to prepare for the trade chapter of the EU-Turkmenistan Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (signed in 1997 but still not ratified by the EU) has still not come into force because of numerous human rights infringements in this former USSR Caucasian republic. Noting some improvement on human rights and (timid) democratic opening, the majority of MEPs were ready to approve the signature and application of the interim agreement on condition that the Commission and Council guarantee that the agreement could be suspended at any time if the situation in Turkmenistan once again worsened. “Neither the Commission nor the Council gave us such assurances,” regretted Caspary - hence the delay in the vote. On Wednesday, Alexandr Vondra (for the Czech Presidency) and Benita Ferrero-Waldner (for the Commission) argued strongly for the agreement to be put into effect immediately. (H.B./transl.rt)