European Parliament hosts conference on Azerbaijan

The European Azerbaijan Society (TEAS) hosted a conference in the European Parliament, Brussels for over 60 stakeholders. During the event, entitled “20 years of independence: Azerbaijan`s future opportunities”, distinguished Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) Tunne Kelam (EPP – Estonia); Evgeni Kirilov (S&D –Bulgaria) and Ivo Vajgl (ALDE – Slovenia) joined Emin Eyyubov, Azerbaijani Ambassador to European Institutions, in giving an optimistic outlook for the country.

They stressed the need for peace in the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh and the continuation of accelerated economic development. The other members of the panel were Tale Heydarov, Chairman and Founder, TEAS, and Göran Lindblad, former Vice-President, Parliamentary Assembly for the Council of Europe (PACE); and Chair, Political Affairs Committee, PACE, who moderated the discussion.

Kelam gave a brief overview of Azerbaijani history, explaining how the Azerbaijani Democratic Republic (ADR), which lasted for nearly two years between 1918–20, was the first democracy in the Muslim East, prior to the Soviet invasion. Kirilov went on to explain the need for reconciliation between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the Nagorno-Karabakh situation, and the requirement to ensure that Azerbaijani sovereign territory is maintained.

Vajgl highlighted the relations between EU member states and Azerbaijan. He stated the Nagorno-Karabakh issue remains “a piece of Cold War” and a “deeply rooted political problem”. The MEP commented on the activities of the OSCE Minsk Group, tasked with achieving peaceful resolution of the conflict, and urged the Co-Chairs to increase their efforts. He argued in favor of giving a clear path for EU alliance with both Azerbaijan and Armenia to accelerate regional development.

Ambassador Eyyubov summarized Azerbaijani democratic development and explained that his country was “an ancient nation”, despite being a “young State”. Following an initial period of disarray` from 1991–93, due to the war with Armenia, combined with economic recession, the situation rapidly improved and stability was achieved. He emphasized the potential economic benefits to Armenia if peace was achieved, as this would enable hydrocarbon resources to be transported across its territory.

The Ambassador stressed that, since 1994, Azerbaijan had been transformed into “a locomotive” for hydrocarbon resources, becoming a secure source of Western European energy. He cited figures from The Economist, which concluded that Azerbaijan had experienced the greatest GDP growth in the world during the past decade, now accounting for 83 per cent of the entire South Caucasus GDP.

Turning to security, he underlined the participation of his country in various NATO peacekeeping missions, including those in Afghanistan. He acknowledged that the greatest challenge remains the achievement of “a constructive solution” for the Nagorno- Karabakh situation. He invited all those present to attend the Eurovision Song Contest in Baku in May 2012.

Vajgl expressed hope for stronger co-operation between the EU and Azerbaijan, which could potentially become an EU member. He also called for an end to the Armenian invasion of Azerbaijani territory. Mr Kirilov explained the need for energy supply diversity, also mentioning the necessity for enhancement of relations with Turkmenistan and the expedited development of Tran-Caspian pipelines. The Ambassador commented that the decision on the Azerbaijani government`s favored pipeline projects would be finalized by the end of 2011. He concluded by stating that Azerbaijan was following the path to full democracy.

The panel discussion was followed by a reception, having been well-attended by MEPs, EU Commission members, the diplomatic community and NGO representatives.


/AzerTAc/