91999E2667

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2667/99

by Olivier Dupuis (TDI) to the Council

(13 January 2000)

Subject: Prospects of Azerbaijan joining the Council of Europe and development of EU/Azerbaijan relations

Can the High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy give full details on the state of progress of Azerbaijan's accession to the Council of Europe? More generally, can the High Representative indicate how the EU intends to develop relations with the country?

Reply

(16 March 2000)

The Council fully supports the objective of Azerbaijan to become a member of the Council of Europe. However, neither the Council nor the High Representative is involved in this accession process and is therefore not in a position to comment on it.

The High Representative will continue to assist the Council in support of developing closer relations between the European Union and Azerbaijan. The European Union has contractual relations with Azerbaijan through a Partnership and Cooperation Agreement which provides for, amongst other things, enhanced trade relations, financial cooperation, and a political dialogue.

The first meeting of the EU-Azerbaijan Cooperation Council established under this agreement took place in October 1999 and a further meeting is planned later this year.

The political dialogue provides the European Union with the opportunity to raise a number of issues of interest including human rights, regional cooperation and the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh.