EU Special Representative to discuss Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement in Baku

EU Special Representative for the South Caucasus Peter Semneby will discuss urgent issues, including progress in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, the upcoming parliamentary elections in Azerbaijan, energy issues and cooperation with the EU with Azerbaijani leadership within his visit to Baku next week, special representative's office told Trend.

Semneby will pay a visit from June 29-July 1. The parliamentary elections in Azerbaijan are scheduled for early November. According to a list provided to the Azerbaijani Central Election Commission, the number of voters, constantly living in Azerbaijan, is 4,829 people.

The Special Representative's office has requested meetings with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov, officials of the parliament and other institutions related to the elections, as well as representatives of some international organizations in Baku.

Details of the visit are still worked out. In late May, head of the European Union's foreign policy Catherine Ashton proposed to withdraw the EU Special Representatives from South Caucasus and Moldova - hotbeds of "frozen conflicts".

According to Ashton's proposal, the special representative's position will be merged with the head of the European Commission, and later with the post of representative of the European External Action Service. Semneby's mandate expires August 31, 2010. But it may be extended until the end of the year, until the European External Action Service comes into force. 


/Trend/