Azerbaijan and European Union - POLITICS - AZERBAIJAN

So far 5 meetings of the Council (on October 12, 1999, October 10, 2000, October 30, 2001, October 1, 2002, September 30, 2003) and 4 meetings of Committee (on March 27, 2000, 25 June 2001,
12 July, 2002, 09 June 2003) and 4 meetings of Subcommittee (on July 21, 2000, 30 April 2002, March 14, 2003, April 22, 2004) have been held.
The EU supports the economic reforms in Azerbaijan by transfer of relevant technical assistance and expertise through TACIS program. (www.tacis.org) TACIS (Technical Assistance to the Commonwealth of Independent States) program was established in 1991 with the purpose to provide technical assistance to the 12 countries of the former Soviet Union and Mongolia. Under the TACIS indicative program for Azerbaijan, priority is given to the three areas of cooperation: infrastructure, private sector and human resources development. The key TACIS multi-country network projects related to Azerbaijan are TRACECA and INOGATE
TRACECA (Transport corridor Europe - Caucasus - Asia) was established in May 1993 at the Conference in Brussels where ministers of trade and transport of the 8 original founder states (5 Central Asian states and 3 South Caucasus states) met (www.traceca.org). It aims to support their political and economic independence by enhancing their capacity to access European and world markets through alternative transport routes and to encourage further regional cooperation among the partner states.
On the initiative of the Presidents of Azerbaijan and Georgia and with the support of EU TACIS-TRACECA program an international conference on "Restoration of the Historic Silk Road" was held on September 8, 1998 in Baku. Representatives of 32 countries and 12 international organizations took part at the conference. The most important achievement of the conference was the signing by the heads of delegations of Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Turkey, Ukraine, Moldova, Romania and Bulgaria of the "Basic Multilateral Agreement on International Transport for the Development of the Transport Corridor Europe - Caucasus - Asia" (Basic Agreement) and Technical Annexes to the Basic Agreement on:

international rail transport
international road transport
international commercial maritime navigation
customs procedures and documents handling

Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan is the Depositary of the Basic Agreement and its Technical Annexes.
To regulate the issues of implementation and the application of the provisions of the Basic Agreement the member- states agreed to establish an Inter-Governmental Commission (IGC) consisting of highest intergovernmental authorities of the member-states or their representatives with full authority to take decisions under the Basic Agreement.
On February 21, 2001 official opening of the office of the Permanent Secretariat of IGC TRACECA in Baku was held during the visit of the EU high officials: Minister of Foreign Affairs, representative of Swedish presidency in EU Anna Lindh, the Commissioner for External Relations Christopher Patten, Secretary-General/High Representative of Common Foreign and Security Policy Javier Solana.
TRACECA project envisages implementation of 25 technical assistance and 11 investment projects with Azerbaijan being a party to 26 of them with total value exceeding 100 mln euros.
INOGATE (interstate oil and gas transportation to Europe) is the main regional initiative within the framework of EU assistance to newly-independent states. The signing of the Umbrella Agreement on establishment of interstate oil and gas transportation framework in Kiev in July 1999 by 15 states (including Azerbaijan) laid the legal basis of INOGATE.
The first phase of the program stipulates the implementation of 10 projects with total value exceeding 50 mln ECU, of which 5 projects are directly related to Azerbaijan. INOGATE opens up new perspectives for Azerbaijan as well as other newly-independent states to implement trans-boundary projects and acts as a catalyst for attracting investment from international financial institutions and private investment funds, based on advantages of international agreements on transit of hydrocarbon resources.

So far 5 meetings of the Council (on October 12, 1999, October 10, 2000, October 30, 2001, October 1, 2002, September 30, 2003) and 4 meetings of Committee (on March 27, 2000, 25 June 2001, 12 July, 2002, 09 June 2003) and 4 meetings of Subcommittee (on July 21, 2000, 30 April 2002, March 14, 2003, April 22, 2004) have been held. The EU supports the economic reforms in Azerbaijan by transfer of relevant technical assistance and expertise through TACIS program. (www.tacis.org) TACIS (Technical Assistance to the Commonwealth of Independent States) program was established in 1991 with the purpose to provide technical assistance to the 12 countries of the former Soviet Union and Mongolia. Under the TACIS indicative program for Azerbaijan, priority is given to the three areas of cooperation: infrastructure, private sector and human resources development. The key TACIS multi-country network projects related to Azerbaijan are TRACECA and INOGATE TRACECA (Transport corridor Europe - Caucasus - Asia) was established in May 1993 at the Conference in Brussels where ministers of trade and transport of the 8 original founder states (5 Central Asian states and 3 South Caucasus states) met (www.traceca.org). It aims to support their political and economic independence by enhancing their capacity to access European and world markets through alternative transport routes and to encourage further regional cooperation among the partner states. On the initiative of the Presidents of Azerbaijan and Georgia and with the support of EU TACIS-TRACECA program an international conference on "Restoration of the Historic Silk Road" was held on September 8, 1998 in Baku. Representatives of 32 countries and 12 international organizations took part at the conference. The most important achievement of the conference was the signing by the heads of delegations of Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Turkey, Ukraine, Moldova, Romania and Bulgaria of the "Basic Multilateral Agreement on International Transport for the Development of the Transport Corridor Europe - Caucasus - Asia" (Basic Agreement) and Technical Annexes to the Basic Agreement on: international rail transport international road transport international commercial maritime navigation customs procedures and documents handling Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan is the Depositary of the Basic Agreement and its Technical Annexes. To regulate the issues of implementation and the application of the provisions of the Basic Agreement the member- states agreed to establish an Inter-Governmental Commission (IGC) consisting of highest intergovernmental authorities of the member-states or their representatives with full authority to take decisions under the Basic Agreement. On February 21, 2001 official opening of the office of the Permanent Secretariat of IGC TRACECA in Baku was held during the visit of the EU high officials: Minister of Foreign Affairs, representative of Swedish presidency in EU Anna Lindh, the Commissioner for External Relations Christopher Patten, Secretary-General/High Representative of Common Foreign and Security Policy Javier Solana. TRACECA project envisages implementation of 25 technical assistance and 11 investment projects with Azerbaijan being a party to 26 of them with total value exceeding 100 mln euros. INOGATE (interstate oil and gas transportation to Europe) is the main regional initiative within the framework of EU assistance to newly-independent states. The signing of the Umbrella Agreement on establishment of interstate oil and gas transportation framework in Kiev in July 1999 by 15 states (including Azerbaijan) laid the legal basis of INOGATE. The first phase of the program stipulates the implementation of 10 projects with total value exceeding 50 mln ECU, of which 5 projects are directly related to Azerbaijan. INOGATE opens up new perspectives for Azerbaijan as well as other newly-independent states to implement trans-boundary projects and acts as a catalyst for attracting investment from international financial institutions and private investment funds, based on advantages of international agreements on transit of hydrocarbon resources.
Category: POLITICS \| Added by: shamsi_84 (07.05.2011)
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