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“As a leading economy in the South Caucasus, Azerbaijan is the biggest trade partner of V4 countries,” Azerbaijani FM Elmar Mammadyarov told the Visegrad Group (V4) – Eastern Partnership Meeting of Foreign Ministers in Budapest, Hungary.
“Last year Azerbaijan’s trade turnover with V4 countries totaled around a billion USD and we are pleased to note that this trend is on increase. Remarkably, both sides have managed to diversify the trade portfolio by going beyond the traditional energy sector and seizing opportunities that the non-oil sector provides such as agriculture, construction, heavy industry and pharmaceuticals. Azerbaijan also remains the most attractive market for V4 countries in terms of non-oil sector investment.”
FM Mammadyarov said: “In the case of Azerbaijan, the success of our partnership with V4 is rooted in an excellent track record of our bilateral cooperation. We regularly maintain a high-level political dialogue on issues of common interest. Our countries also interact in the inter-parliamentary cooperation framework. Joint Intergovernmental Commissions with majority of V4 countries provide a good platform for strengthening the economic dimension of this cooperation.”
“This said, V4 countries are our important partners also in the EU context. Recently, in Prague, we marked a five-year anniversary of Eastern Partnership. V4 countries have been instrumental in designing, developing and strengthening the mechanisms of this new engagement that encompass a broad range of political, security and economic issues.”
Mammadyarov noted: “Azerbaijan has been consistent in stating that we are interested in building our relations with EU based on common interests and mutually agreed priorities. The value of this partnership is predetermined by past and present successful engagements between my country and the European Union.”
“Azerbaijan has pledged its support to ensuring European energy security by enabling the realization of the strategic Southern Gas Corridor. Following the adoption of the strategically important joint declaration on the Southern Gas Corridor between Azerbaijan and EU in 2011, we took a major step that testified to our dedication to enable the prompt development of the Corridor. The Trans-Anatolian gas pipeline (TANAP)project, as a strategic midstream component of the Southern Gas Corridor created regulatory and commercial predictability as well as ensured our partners that the Azerbaijani natural gas will reach Europe. Last summer, the Trans-Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) was chosen for the delivery of Azerbaijani gas to our European partners. Finally, last December, the Shah-Deniz stage 2 Final Investment Decision was made. Thus, TANAP and TAP to be commissioned in the coming 4-5 years will help meet strategic energy demands of our partners in Southern Europe and envisage future volumes to export to Central Europe. Shah-Deniz stage 2 project will also boost interconnectivity in Europe energy infrastructure.”
The FM noted: “We also welcome the strengthening of the legal basis of our cooperation with EU. The recently signed Visa Facilitation and Readmission Agreements as well as Mobility Partnership will open up opportunities for closer interaction among our citizens.”
“Comprehensive Institution Building (CIB) is another joint initiative which we have developed within Eastern Partnership. Through CIB’s we strive to attract more added value of EU resources to realization of institutional reform plans. As of today, 3 group of beneficiary institutions are fully functional, amongst which capacity building of human resources in civil service have been chosen as a priority.”
“V4 countries have also been partnering with us in a number of EU twining projects. We look forward to continued cooperation in several projects in Azerbaijan foreseeing implementation of best practices in the public sector institutions,” he added.
Mammadyarov touched upon the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict: “I want to stress a point on position of EU on unresolved protracted conflicts in the Eastern Partnership area. Particularly, Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict remains an issue of great concern. The just and soonest resolution of this conflict on the basis of UNSC resolutions and therefore restoration of territorial integrity of Azerbaijan within its internationally recognized borders, as well as return internally displaced persons to the place of their origin will strengthen peace and stability, create conditions for a fully-fledged regional cooperation.”.
“Azerbaijan has consistently reiterated its capacity-driven aspiration to develop more goal-oriented and diverse agenda rather confining itself to limited areas of cooperation inspired by unilateral priorities. We believe that the Association framework currently offered by EU does not reflect the needs of both Azerbaijan and EU. We are ready to work closely with EU on developing a bilateral framework of strategic nature,” the Azerbaijani FM added.
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