European Union to foster partnership with Azerbaijan

The European Union (EU) and the Government of Azerbaijan have embarked on an intensive preparation of a Comprehensive Institutional Capacity Building programme, the European delegation to Azerbaijan said in a statement.

The programme, funded by EU, is a concrete outcome of the Eastern Partnership initiative and will be in operation over the next 3 years. To facilitate the deepening of EU-Azerbaijan relations, it aims to strengthen various Government institutions to negotiate and implement the future Association Agreement between the EU and Azerbaijan.

Ambassador Roland Kobia, Head of the EU Delegation to Azerbaijan made a statement following official meetings in Baku this week.

"We have held very fruitful discussions with a number of Government institutions and Civil Society Organisations. There is a broad agreement on the initiative. This is a concrete step towards the implementation of the Eastern partnership in Azerbaijan."

Ambassador Kobia was leading a programming mission composed of EU officials from the Headquarters of the European Union in Brussels, Mrs Karin Gatt Rutter and Mrs Katja Salsback.

The mission was in Baku from the 08th to the 11th of February and held consultations with the Cabinet of Ministers, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Economic Development, the Ministry of Justice, the Civil Service Commission as well as Civil Society Organisations.

The assistance is expected to be on building capacities of government institutions in the justice sector, in trade matters and in public administration in general. A detailed framework programme will be prepared jointly in the coming weeks.

The deepening of the EU-Azerbaijani relations under the Eastern Partnership, launched in May 2009, includes the prospect of upgrading EU–Azerbaijan contractual relations and the establishment of an Association Agreement.

The Eastern Partnership also provides for closer economic and trade relations with the EU through the setting up of a Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA) once WTO membership is achieved.

The Comprehensive Institutional Capacity Building programme will support Azerbaijan's preparation for the negotiation and implementation of a future agreements with the EU.

Today.Az