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AZERBAIJANI LEADER, EU FOREIGN POLICY CHIEF DISCUSS ENERGY, KARABAKH
news.az
Nov 16 2011
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has received the EU's high
representative for foreign affairs and security policy, Catherine
Ashton.
She arrived in Baku on Tuesday at the start of a visit to the three
countries of the South Caucasus.
Aliyev and Ashton discussed the prospects for energy cooperation
between Azerbaijan and the EU and exchanged views on ways to settle
the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh, state-run
news agency AzerTAj reported.
Aliyev described cooperation between Azerbaijan and the European
Union as multifaceted and said that relations between the country
and the EU were developing successfully,
Recalling his meeting with Catherine Ashton in Warsaw, the president
stressed the importance of her visit to the region and Azerbaijan. He
said that the trip to Baku would contribute to developing further
the relationship between Azerbaijan and the EU.
In turn, Catherine Ashton expressed satisfaction with her visit to
Azerbaijan, AzerTAj said.
President Ilham Aliyev hosted a dinner in honour of the senior EU
official.
Energy, human rights, Karabakh, Azerbaijani-EU relations and Iran were
all issues raised earlier in the day by Catherine Ashton at a joint
press conference with Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov.
"I was very keen to come here to develop further the bilateral
relationship between the European Union and Azerbaijan and highlight
the importance of making sure that our relationships are tailor-made
to suit the needs of both," Ashton said in a statement to the press
conference.
"Azerbaijan is an important partner of the European Union in terms
of energy and I know that you have worked closely with my colleague,
Commissioner Oettinger, to advance this issue," she said.
In the past week alone, two presidents, one minister and one special
envoy have come to Baku to discuss the export of Azerbaijani gas.
The consortium developing Azerbaijan's giant Shah Deniz gas field is
expected to announce its chosen route for the export of gas to Europe,
via what's loosely termed the Southern Energy Corridor, by the end
of the year. The EU is supporting the Nabucco pipeline project, one
of three projects to have submitted bids to export Shah Deniz II gas.
Shah Deniz operator BP has come up with a fourth option, in case none
of the three routes prove suitable.
Catherine Ashton noted Azerbaijan's role in the region and
internationally.
"You are also an increasingly important player in this region and of
course, with the election as a non-permanent member of the Security
Council, also in the United Nations."
On EU relations, she said: "The Eastern Partnership is an important
way in which we demonstrate the closeness of our relationship, building
on the common values and aspirations that we hold for all our people.
"For all my life the issues of human rights have been central to
the way I approach the relationships that we have in the EU. With
all the countries in the Eastern Partnership it's part of the core
values that we hold. The minister knows well the position the EU and
I hold in terms of these issues.
"I hope my visit here today will be an opportunity to demonstrate the
value that we place on this relationship and consider further in our
meetings what more we can do to develop and deepen that relationship
in the future."
She outlined the EU's supporting role to the OSCE Minsk Group, the
international body mediating a solution to the Armenian-Azerbaijani
conflict over Karabakh.
"We have also touched upon the Nagorny Karabakh conflict. The European
Union has a different role to the Minsk Group who is responsible for
trying to resolve this issue. I appointed a special representative
to offer our support in some of the ways that the European Union can
support the process; an example being confidence-building measures."
On Iran and the concerns over its nuclear program, the EU high
representative said: "Briefly we have also discussed some foreign
policy issues, among them Iran. As you know, on behalf of the E3+3
or the P5+1, I'm responsible for leading the negotiations with Iran,
and we take a very clear double-track approach. We believe in trying
to get the Iranians to negotiate and to respect their commitments on
nuclear proliferation. And we're concerned about the latest report from
the IAEA. When the 27 foreign ministers met yesterday, we discussed
these issues. While we wish to see Iran honour its commitments and
come to negotiate, we recognize we need to keep up the pressure. We
will examine what further sanctions we should take."
Catherine Ashton said that her visit allowed her to see Azerbaijan's
development for herself.
news.az
Nov 16 2011
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has received the EU's high
representative for foreign affairs and security policy, Catherine
Ashton.
She arrived in Baku on Tuesday at the start of a visit to the three
countries of the South Caucasus.
Aliyev and Ashton discussed the prospects for energy cooperation
between Azerbaijan and the EU and exchanged views on ways to settle
the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh, state-run
news agency AzerTAj reported.
Aliyev described cooperation between Azerbaijan and the European
Union as multifaceted and said that relations between the country
and the EU were developing successfully,
Recalling his meeting with Catherine Ashton in Warsaw, the president
stressed the importance of her visit to the region and Azerbaijan. He
said that the trip to Baku would contribute to developing further
the relationship between Azerbaijan and the EU.
In turn, Catherine Ashton expressed satisfaction with her visit to
Azerbaijan, AzerTAj said.
President Ilham Aliyev hosted a dinner in honour of the senior EU
official.
Energy, human rights, Karabakh, Azerbaijani-EU relations and Iran were
all issues raised earlier in the day by Catherine Ashton at a joint
press conference with Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov.
"I was very keen to come here to develop further the bilateral
relationship between the European Union and Azerbaijan and highlight
the importance of making sure that our relationships are tailor-made
to suit the needs of both," Ashton said in a statement to the press
conference.
"Azerbaijan is an important partner of the European Union in terms
of energy and I know that you have worked closely with my colleague,
Commissioner Oettinger, to advance this issue," she said.
In the past week alone, two presidents, one minister and one special
envoy have come to Baku to discuss the export of Azerbaijani gas.
The consortium developing Azerbaijan's giant Shah Deniz gas field is
expected to announce its chosen route for the export of gas to Europe,
via what's loosely termed the Southern Energy Corridor, by the end
of the year. The EU is supporting the Nabucco pipeline project, one
of three projects to have submitted bids to export Shah Deniz II gas.
Shah Deniz operator BP has come up with a fourth option, in case none
of the three routes prove suitable.
Catherine Ashton noted Azerbaijan's role in the region and
internationally.
"You are also an increasingly important player in this region and of
course, with the election as a non-permanent member of the Security
Council, also in the United Nations."
On EU relations, she said: "The Eastern Partnership is an important
way in which we demonstrate the closeness of our relationship, building
on the common values and aspirations that we hold for all our people.
"For all my life the issues of human rights have been central to
the way I approach the relationships that we have in the EU. With
all the countries in the Eastern Partnership it's part of the core
values that we hold. The minister knows well the position the EU and
I hold in terms of these issues.
"I hope my visit here today will be an opportunity to demonstrate the
value that we place on this relationship and consider further in our
meetings what more we can do to develop and deepen that relationship
in the future."
She outlined the EU's supporting role to the OSCE Minsk Group, the
international body mediating a solution to the Armenian-Azerbaijani
conflict over Karabakh.
"We have also touched upon the Nagorny Karabakh conflict. The European
Union has a different role to the Minsk Group who is responsible for
trying to resolve this issue. I appointed a special representative
to offer our support in some of the ways that the European Union can
support the process; an example being confidence-building measures."
On Iran and the concerns over its nuclear program, the EU high
representative said: "Briefly we have also discussed some foreign
policy issues, among them Iran. As you know, on behalf of the E3+3
or the P5+1, I'm responsible for leading the negotiations with Iran,
and we take a very clear double-track approach. We believe in trying
to get the Iranians to negotiate and to respect their commitments on
nuclear proliferation. And we're concerned about the latest report from
the IAEA. When the 27 foreign ministers met yesterday, we discussed
these issues. While we wish to see Iran honour its commitments and
come to negotiate, we recognize we need to keep up the pressure. We
will examine what further sanctions we should take."
Catherine Ashton said that her visit allowed her to see Azerbaijan's
development for herself.