Talks on new Azerbaijan-EU agreement may last until 2018-end

By Azernews

By Rashid Shirinov

The negotiations on the new Azerbaijan-EU agreement may last until the end of 2018, Azerbaijani Deputy Foreign Minister Mahmud Mammad-Guliyev told reporters in Baku on December 12.

He said there is progress in negotiations.

“A video conference will be held on December 15. Energy, ecology and other spheres will be discussed,” he said. “The remaining issues may be discussed in January and February 2018. I think that the negotiations on the new agreement will complete by late 2018.”

In November last year, the European Council adopted a mandate for the European Commission and the high representative for foreign affairs and security policy to negotiate, on behalf of the EU and its member states, a comprehensive agreement with Azerbaijan.

The new agreement should replace the 1996 partnership and cooperation agreement. This will enable better to take account of the common goals and challenges the EU and Azerbaijan face today.

The agreement will follow the principles endorsed in the 2015 review of the European Neighborhood Policy and offer a renewed basis for political dialogue and mutually beneficial cooperation between the EU and Azerbaijan.

To date, bilateral relations between the EU and Azerbaijan are regulated on the basis of the agreement of 1996, which entered into force in 1999.

The new agreement envisages approximation of Azerbaijan’s legislation and procedures to the most important international and trade norms and standards of the EU. This should lead to improved access of Azerbaijani products to the EU markets.

Mammad-Guliyev also noted that all issues on the aviation agreement between Azerbaijan and the EU will be resolved in early 2018.

“The agreement was not signed during the Brussels summit, since one or two issues remained unresolved. These issues may be resolved in January-February 2018,” he said, adding that the EU wants to send a delegation to Azerbaijan.

Earlier, Kestutis Jankauskas, head of the EU delegation to Azerbaijan, said the EU hopes to initial the aviation agreement with Azerbaijan in the second half of January 2018.

Creation of a common aviation area is aimed at the opening and integration of aviation markets, which will lead to new opportunities for consumers and operators and, most importantly, to high standards in terms of flight safety as well as air traffic management. This is an initiative of the European Commission, according to which the division of airspace and its management will be common for most countries in Europe.