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BENITA FERRERO-WALDNER: EU DOES NOT REGARD BAKU-TBILISI-KARS RAILWAY AS A TRANSPORT ROUTE HAVING AN INCLUSIVE AND "REGIONAL" CHARACTER
Azeri Press Agency
Feb 4 2008
Azerbaijan
European Commissioner for External Relations and European Neighbourhood
Policy Benita Ferrero-Waldner interviewed by APA
- What is the main purpose of the EU Troika visit to the South
Caucasus?
- The EU Troika will have a broad discussion with Azerbaijani
authorities on issues of common interest, such as the implementation
of the ENP Action Plan, human rights and elections, frozen conflicts
in the region, regional cooperation and energy.
- What necessitates the opening of the EU Delegation in Azerbaijan?
- The Commission Delegation in Baku will be inaugurated during
the EU Troika visit. We are confident that, thanks to the presence
of a Commission office in Baku, we will be able to strengthen our
relations with Azerbaijan and facilitate our contacts, including the
implementation of assistance projects aimed at supporting the full
implementation of the ENP Action Plan.
- Why doesn't the European Commission, which does not support the
Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway project, make Armenia, the ENP country,
set free the occupied territories of Azerbaijan?
-As regards the railway, the Commission has always stressed that
it would support both politically and financially, transport routes
having an inclusive and "regional" character. This does not seem to be
the case of the Kars-Tbilisi-Baku railway, at the least for the time
being. Concerning the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, the Commission fully
supports the efforts being made in the context of the OSCE Minsk Group
to find a peaceful solution to the conflict. The Commission has been
inviting both Armenia and Azerbaijan to participate in more regional
cooperation initiatives, which can gradually build confidence between
the two sides and facilitate the conclusion of a peace agreement.
- The EU was expected to cooperate with the GUAM...
- GUAM is a regional organisation with which the European Commission
has relations and links and a certain amount of coordination is
taking place.
-Is the EU support to Azerbaijan for WTO accession included in
certain projects?
- The EU supports Azerbaijan in her accession bid to the WTO, through
projects and dialogue. We hope that Azerbaijan will soon join the WTO,
but this is a question of obtaining a consensus among WTO members
and that is difficult to predict.
A WTO component has been included into the previous TACIS Project
"Support to Implementation of PCA".
- How does the EU assess the Odessa-Brodi-Gdansk-Plotsk oil pipeline?
- The European Commission continues to support the Odessa-Brody-Plotsk
project, including through a financial assistance which prepared a
feasibility studies for the extension to Poland.
Therefore we welcome that Azerbaijan and other countries are involved
in this important project. In addition, the Azeri involvement through a
joint project of a refinery to be located in Ukraine, will contribute
to enhancing the energy supplies in this region and Azerbaijan's full
participation in the EU energy market.
- Will the European Commission financially support the Trans-Caucasus
oil and gas pipelines and the Nabucco project?
- The Trans-Caspian and Nabucco project continue to feature as priority
projects for EU efforts to diversify our energy supplies.
More generally, the European Commission is supportive of those pipeline
projects that prove to be economically and environmentally viable. The
extended mandate of the European Investment Bank, covering also
south Caucasus countries, is now ready to finance also infrastructure
projects as well as other financial institutions.
-Which measures does the EU take for peaceful resolution of the
Nagorno Karabakh conflict, one of ten priorities of the Action Plan?
As I said, the EU fully supports the OSCE Minsk Group in its mediation
efforts and urges both Armenia and Azerbaijan to find a rapid,
peaceful and mutually acceptable agreement. What the Commission can
do in this context is to help to improve the preconditions for the
peace deal and the environment in which it should occur. Therefore,
the Commission has been inviting both Armenia and Azerbaijan to
participate in more regional cooperation initiatives, which can
gradually build confidence between the two sides and facilitate the
conclusion of a peace agreement.
Azeri Press Agency
Feb 4 2008
Azerbaijan
European Commissioner for External Relations and European Neighbourhood
Policy Benita Ferrero-Waldner interviewed by APA
- What is the main purpose of the EU Troika visit to the South
Caucasus?
- The EU Troika will have a broad discussion with Azerbaijani
authorities on issues of common interest, such as the implementation
of the ENP Action Plan, human rights and elections, frozen conflicts
in the region, regional cooperation and energy.
- What necessitates the opening of the EU Delegation in Azerbaijan?
- The Commission Delegation in Baku will be inaugurated during
the EU Troika visit. We are confident that, thanks to the presence
of a Commission office in Baku, we will be able to strengthen our
relations with Azerbaijan and facilitate our contacts, including the
implementation of assistance projects aimed at supporting the full
implementation of the ENP Action Plan.
- Why doesn't the European Commission, which does not support the
Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway project, make Armenia, the ENP country,
set free the occupied territories of Azerbaijan?
-As regards the railway, the Commission has always stressed that
it would support both politically and financially, transport routes
having an inclusive and "regional" character. This does not seem to be
the case of the Kars-Tbilisi-Baku railway, at the least for the time
being. Concerning the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, the Commission fully
supports the efforts being made in the context of the OSCE Minsk Group
to find a peaceful solution to the conflict. The Commission has been
inviting both Armenia and Azerbaijan to participate in more regional
cooperation initiatives, which can gradually build confidence between
the two sides and facilitate the conclusion of a peace agreement.
- The EU was expected to cooperate with the GUAM...
- GUAM is a regional organisation with which the European Commission
has relations and links and a certain amount of coordination is
taking place.
-Is the EU support to Azerbaijan for WTO accession included in
certain projects?
- The EU supports Azerbaijan in her accession bid to the WTO, through
projects and dialogue. We hope that Azerbaijan will soon join the WTO,
but this is a question of obtaining a consensus among WTO members
and that is difficult to predict.
A WTO component has been included into the previous TACIS Project
"Support to Implementation of PCA".
- How does the EU assess the Odessa-Brodi-Gdansk-Plotsk oil pipeline?
- The European Commission continues to support the Odessa-Brody-Plotsk
project, including through a financial assistance which prepared a
feasibility studies for the extension to Poland.
Therefore we welcome that Azerbaijan and other countries are involved
in this important project. In addition, the Azeri involvement through a
joint project of a refinery to be located in Ukraine, will contribute
to enhancing the energy supplies in this region and Azerbaijan's full
participation in the EU energy market.
- Will the European Commission financially support the Trans-Caucasus
oil and gas pipelines and the Nabucco project?
- The Trans-Caspian and Nabucco project continue to feature as priority
projects for EU efforts to diversify our energy supplies.
More generally, the European Commission is supportive of those pipeline
projects that prove to be economically and environmentally viable. The
extended mandate of the European Investment Bank, covering also
south Caucasus countries, is now ready to finance also infrastructure
projects as well as other financial institutions.
-Which measures does the EU take for peaceful resolution of the
Nagorno Karabakh conflict, one of ten priorities of the Action Plan?
As I said, the EU fully supports the OSCE Minsk Group in its mediation
efforts and urges both Armenia and Azerbaijan to find a rapid,
peaceful and mutually acceptable agreement. What the Commission can
do in this context is to help to improve the preconditions for the
peace deal and the environment in which it should occur. Therefore,
the Commission has been inviting both Armenia and Azerbaijan to
participate in more regional cooperation initiatives, which can
gradually build confidence between the two sides and facilitate the
conclusion of a peace agreement.