(MENAFN- AzerNews)
By Sabina Mammadli
Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov and European Union (EU) Special Representative for the South Caucasus Toivo Klaar discussed the current regional situation and the fulfillment of accords reached in Brussels on April 6.
During the meeting, the parties also exchanged opinions on the steps taken to normalize relations, including the implementation of the agreements reached at the Brussels meeting on April 6 of the Azerbaijani and Armenian leaders, held with the mediation and participation of the EU Council President Charles Michel.
Further, the parties stressed the importance of progress in the normalization process for ensuring peace and security in the region. They also highlighted the significance of the start of the process of delimitation between Azerbaijan and Armenia, the preparation of a peace agreement, the continuation of humanitarian steps and the opening of all transport communications.
It should be noted that the relations between Azerbaijan and EU are evolving. EU has taken a more active role in the region and has accepted the realities of the post-conflict period.
The final communiqué issued in Brussels on April 6 did not include the term“Nagorno-Karabakh”,“conflict” and“Minsk Group”, which signifies just that.
The European Union remains committed to continuing its engagement toward sustainable peace and stability in the South Caucasus.
Notably, the EU supports the demining of Azerbaijan's territories that were occupied by Armenia for almost 30 years. For this purpose, the European Union (EU) has allocated €2.5 million for mine clearance in the Karabakh region.
The EU and Azerbaijan have cooperation in different fields of economy.
The EU invested over $21.5 billion in Azerbaijan's economy from 2012 to 2021. Azerbaijan's trade turnover with the EU amounted to $9.3 billion last year, which is 38 percent of the country's foreign trade. The Delegation of the European Commission to Azerbaijan was opened in Baku in February 2008.
Azerbaijan started commercial gas supplies to Europe through the Trans-Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) on December 31, 2020.
A joint statement on energy cooperation with the EU was signed more than 10 years ago. The EU-Azerbaijan energy cooperation had reached a new level and is still ongoing within the framework of the Southern Gas Corridor. The EU places a high value on energy supply diversification, and the Southern Gas Corridor is particularly important in this regard. In 2021, European countries purchased 8.2 billion cubic meters of gas, with an increase in volume expected in the coming years.
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