Brussels, 20 July 2022 (TDI): The High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrel Fontelles, co-chaired the 18th meeting of the EU-Azerbaijan Cooperation Council with Minister of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan, Jeyhun Beyramov.
Chaired a fruitful Cooperation Council with #Azerbaijan Foreign Minister @bayramov_jeyhun
The EU and Azerbaijan maintain close contact in these times of geopolitical challenges.
Expressed full support to peace building efforts in the South Caucasus pic.twitter.com/fnrc3wJyN8
— Josep Borrell Fontelles (@JosepBorrellF) July 19, 2022
The objective of the meeting was to review the overall state of EU-Azerbaijan relations and to discuss mutual interest for cooperation in the future.
The Council started discussions with a Memorandum of Understanding on a Strategic Partnership Energy that was signed between the EU and Azerbaijan. Moreover, the European side highlighted that Azerbaijan is their important strategic partner.
Apart from this, the EU emphasized that it looked forward to enhancing cooperation with Azerbaijan. Completing the Common Aviation Area Agreement and the new comprehensive EU-Azerbaijan agreement will strengthen cooperation.
The council also discussed the situations on human rights, the rule of law, and democracy. These are the core elements of EU-Azerbaijan’s relations, which both parties jointly stated in partnership priorities in 2019.
Furthermore, the council participants also exchanged views on strengthening economic cooperation under the Eastern Partnership framework and discussed the recent international developments relevant to Azerbaijan and the EU.
Remarks of the EU Representative at EU-Azerbaijan Cooperation Council meeting:
Today we have the 18th meeting of the Cooperation Council with Azerbaijan.
This was a great opportunity to review the overall state of our relations and express our interest in strengthening bilateral cooperation. Also, to highlight our commitment to a peaceful, stable, and prosperous South Caucasus region.
In the current difficult geopolitical context, it is important to strengthen the dialogue among partners, as we are. I appreciated today, the open and constructive exchanges that we have had.
Azerbaijan is an important partner of the European Union and our cooperation is intensifying.
I am very glad to welcome the signature of the EU and Azerbaijan Memorandum of Understanding on a Strategic Partnership in the Field of Energy, by the President of the [European] Commission [Ursula] von der Leyen in Baku, yesterday.
This Memorandum will allow to double the delivery of gas from Azerbaijan to the European Union by 2027. It paves the way for our future energy partnership, including in renewable [energy] and energy efficiency.
We are also in the crucial phase of negotiating a new Comprehensive Cooperation and Partnership Agreement. This new agreement will lay the ground for our enhanced cooperation and policy dialogue.
We are supporting all efforts to make the South Caucasus a secure, stable, and prosperous space for all its people. In this regard, I welcome the meeting between the ministers of Azerbaijan and Armenia that took place last Saturday in Tbilisi.
I thank the Minister [for Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan, Jeyhun Bayramov] for the information he provided about this meeting. The European Union is ready to support these efforts and is actively working on helping to bridge the differences and to bring solutions.
On other pressing issues, I reiterated our strong condemnation of Russia’s unprovoked and illegitimate aggression against Ukraine.
In this context, I expressed a strong appreciation for the humanitarian assistance that Azerbaijan is providing to Ukraine.
Thank you.
