EU, CoE to launch projects worth €1.6 mln in Azerbaijan

By Azernews

By Leman Mammadova

New projects will be implemented in Azerbaijan that will further improve harmonization of European standards on human rights, democracy and the rule of law in the country.

The European Union jointly with the Council of Europe (CoE) plans to implement two projects in Azerbaijan for a total of 1.6 million euros in 2019-2021.

The projects aim to assist Azerbaijan's institutions in strengthening the institutional capacity to fight corruption and prevent it, support judicial reforms to enhance the independence and professionalism of the judiciary, criminal justice reforms and to apply CoE standards.

The projects have been prepared as part of the second phase of the Partnership for good governance programme.

The total cost of these projects is estimated at 1.6 million euros, of which 80 percent will be provided by the EU, 20 percent - by the CoE.

In addition, Azerbaijan will become part of three regional projects worth 1.8 million euros. These projects will focus on combating economic crime, discrimination and fair justice against women.

The Partnership for Good Governance programme is intended for EU Eastern Partnership Countries.

The implementation of the second stage of the program will cover 2019-2021. The total budget of the stage is 17.5 million euros, 80 percent of funding is provided by the EU, 20 percent - by the CoE.

As part of the first phase of the Partnership for Good Governance programme, four projects were implemented in Azerbaijan in 2015-2018, aimed at ensuring freedom of the media, improving the efficiency of the justice system, application of the European Convention on Human Rights and the case-law of the European Court of Human Rights, and strengthening the fight against money laundering.

The four main areas of EU-Azerbaijan cooperation under the Partnership Priorities reflect those identified under the Eastern Partnership framework, namely: strengthening institutions and good governance; economic development and market opportunities; connectivity, energy efficiency, environment and climate action; mobility and people-to-people contacts.

EU and Azerbaijan are currently working on strategic partnership agreement on cooperation. Currently, bilateral relations between the EU and Azerbaijan are regulated on the basis of an agreement on partnership and cooperation that was signed in 1996 and entered into force in 1999.

The new agreement should replace the agreement of 1996, and should better take account of the common goals and challenges the EU and Azerbaijan face today.

The agreement will comply with the principles approved in 2015 in the document of the European Neighborhood Policy and will offer an updated basis for political dialogue and mutually beneficial cooperation between the EU and Azerbaijan.

Presently, the work on the new agreement continues through teleconferences. The decision on the next round of negotiations will be made after these videoconferences.