European Commission representative: Energy security is crucial to European Union, Azerbaijan

- It was mentioned before, that for citizens of the «Eastern Partnership» countries, the process of getting visas will be a lot easier. Is this question being discussed? If so, on what stage of discussing is it currently on?

- Indeed, the Eastern Partnership provides for developing our bilateral relationship in this area, first of all working closely on individual visa facilitation and re-admission agreements and on full visa liberalisation as a long term goal. However, this is a process which depends on the individual situation in the partner country provided that conditions for well-managed and secure mobility are in place.

The speed in which this can be achieved depends on the abilities of the partner country to fulfill the necessary conditions for easier and safer travel. Therefore, there is no fixed timetable for these discussions.

- Do the countries of the «Eastern Partnership» program have a chance of getting the European Union membership? Does the fact of being in the «Eastern Partnership» program give those countries any privileges before the European Union?

- The Eastern Partnership does not offer a membership perspective. However, it most certainly represents a clear step change in our relationship with these six countries both on a bilateral and multilateral level. With the Eastern Partnership the EU offers its Eastern partners concrete, far-reaching support for democratic and market-oriented reforms and thus contribute to their political and economic stability, reinforces their statehood and builds on the successful cooperation under the European Neighbourhood Policy.

With the Eastern Partnership we can offer even more support for political and economic reforms necessary for the eastern neighbourhood countries to move much closer to the EU – both politically and economically. Moreover an additional envelope of EUR 350 million is offered till 2013 to support Eastern Partnership objectives.

- Not so long ago, in Prague,  Azerbaijani president Ilham Aliev signed a declaration of acceptance to take part in the Nabucco project. European Union is very interested in this project. However critics say, that the project itself is based more on politics, rather than economics. Do you think Nabucco project will ever see the green light?

- Energy security is an issue of utmost importance for both the EU and Azerbaijan, and a key area of our bilateral cooperation. It is in the interest of both the EU and Azerbaijan to develop the necessary infrastructure to permit the transport of Azerbaijani and Central Asian gas through the Southern Caucasus to Europe, and we are co-operating to this end both in the framework of the Baku process and in the context of our bilateral Memorandum of Understanding on Energy. The EU is serious about making the Nabucco project a success as it sees it as a high priority due to its important role in diversifying  transport routes and source countries for gas supplies to the EU.

T. Teymur
Day.Az