By Trend

Azerbaijan and the EU are successfully cooperating on the basis of partnership, Hikmet Hajiyev, Head of the Department of Foreign Policy Affairs of the Azerbaijani Presidential Administration, told Trend News Agency in “Interview with Sahil Karimli” while commenting on the Azerbaijan-EU relations.

In this context, he stressed the Azerbaijani president’s visit to the EU headquarters in early 2017 and discussions held with President of the European Council Donald Tusk.

"This allowed opening a new page in the relations between Azerbaijan and the EU,” Hajiyev said. “As a logical continuation of this process, a partnership document covering the priority areas of cooperation between Azerbaijan and the EU was signed in summer 2018, in which the EU expressed support for Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity and sovereignty.”

“The priority areas of cooperation, the Southern Gas Corridor, humanitarian, political and other issues were also stressed,” he said. “Therefore, it is possible to say with confidence about the comprehensive development of relations between Azerbaijan and the EU."

“One of the important issues on the agenda is the draft of a new partnership agreement between Azerbaijan and the EU,” Hajiyev added.

"As an equal party, we continue to hold the dialogue and discussions with the EU,” he said. “The negotiations are underway. The EU delegation was on a visit to Azerbaijan on April 23-25 in connection with this agreement.”

“As for the agreement, the document consists of political, sectoral and trade sections,” Hajiyev said. “Azerbaijan acts as an equal partner in the negotiation process on this agreement."

He stressed that a number of participating countries receive donor assistance within the Eastern Partnership program.

"Azerbaijan does not receive donor assistance from anyone and does not need it,” Hajiyev said. “We proceed only from the principle of mutually beneficial cooperation, which serves Azerbaijan’s interests.”

“The existence of different opinions between the sides in this process is normal,” he said. “The EU is, in particular, the positions of 28 countries. There is a constructive atmosphere between the sides and the work is being carried out to bring different opinions together and find common ground.”

“Here we are not pursuing a specific date,” Hajiyev said. “We continue to hold a constructive dialogue and cooperate to reach an agreement that will meet the interests of the sides and will cover the essence of our relations.”