ECONOMIC ACHIEVEMENTS OF AZERBAIJAN DISCUSSED
Baku, 18 June (AZERTAC). Asgar Alakbarov, Chief of the Department of Foreign Investments & Technical Assistance Coordination (Ministry of Economic Development of Azerbaijan) told journalists that since 1996 subcommittees on investments, trade, energy and cooperation were established as part of the program of cooperation between the European Union and the government of Azerbaijan. Once a year these organizations are holding meetings in Baku and Brussels. The meeting presided over by the Ministry of Economic Development of Azerbaijan, usually focuses on economic achievements of Azerbaijan.
The recent meeting held in Baku yesterday, featured two key issues. The first is related to the status of Reforming State, provided by the World Bank for Azerbaijan and highly valued by the European Union last year. The second issue is the Eastern Partnership Initiative, initially proposed by Poland and Sweden and officially recognized by the European Union. The Eastern Partnership Initiative implies further expansion of cooperation and additional financing. Also within the framework of the Eastern Partnership Initiative representatives of the European Commission and working groups from all partner states including Azerbaijan will hold meetings in Brussels in June, according to Mr. Alakbarov.
The Eastern Partnership Initiative was officially presented for the first time on May 26, 2008 by the Polish and Swedish ministers of foreign affairs Radosław Sikorski and Carl Bildt at the EU General Affairs and External Relations Council (GAERC) in Brussels. A month later, on June 20, the European Council expressed its support for this joint initiative and asked the European Commission to prepare proposals for concrete measures and steps for further bilateral and multilateral co-operation.
The Polish-Swedish initiative focuses on Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova, Ukraine and Armenia, and aims at enhancing the European Union’s bilateral relations with these countries in a way that would move beyond the existing European Neighborhood Policy and create a permanent formula for multilateral co-operation with the region.
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