EU, Azerbaijan to continue talks on new agreement in March

By  Trend

The European Union and Azerbaijan will continue talks on the new partnership agreement in March, Trend learned from the EU Delegation to Azerbaijan.

“We can confirm that the EU-Azerbaijan Cooperation Committee took place in Brussels on 27-28 February in presence of Azerbaijan’s Deputy Foreign Minister Mahmud Mammadguliyev and EEAS Director Luc Devigne,” said the EU Delegation.

“Talks on the new agreement will continue in March.”

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 in November 2016.

The new agreement should replace the 1996 partnership and cooperation agreement and should better take account of the shared objectives 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.

The new agreement envisages the compliance of Azerbaijan’s legislation and procedures with the EU’s most important international trade norms and standards, which should lead to the improvement of Azerbaijani goods’ access to the EU markets.