The head of the EU Delegation to Azerbaijan, Malena Mard, said during a press conference on the report of the EU’s progress in its relations with the countries of the Eastern Partnership that the EU is the biggest trading partner and investor in Azerbaijan, and it will support the process of the country joining the World Trade Organization (WTO).
"Cooperation with Azerbaijan is very important for the EU, we intend to develop these relations in the future as well," Mard said.
Mard stressed that over the past 10 years the EU has been developing relations with Azerbaijan within the framework of the Eastern Partnership program, which is the basis for the development of cooperation with partner countries of the European Union. According to the diplomat, the EU High Representative Federica Mogherini and European Commissioner for European Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations Johannes Hahn began consultations on the next steps within the framework of the ENP.
"We want to change the policy of work with our neighbors and began extensive consultations to review this policy. I hope that the new program of the EU's neighborhood will be ready by the fall," the head of the mission said, adding that the first results of operation of the agreement on simplification of the visa regime between the EU and Azerbaijan are already noticeable.
“Statistics show that last year we issued 75,000 visas to citizens of Azerbaijan,” she said.
According to Mard, the EU will continue to support the development process of civic society. "Our cooperation with Azerbaijan continues in all areas, and we hope that the country will remain a key partner of the EU," Trend cited the diplomat.
