Europe ready to cooperate with Baku under New Neighbors initiative
By Sevindzh Abdullayeva, Viktor Shulman

ITAR-TASS News Agency
September 17, 2004 Friday

BAKU, September 17 — The affiliation of Azerbaijan to the New
Neighbors initiative of the European Union begins a new phase in the
Azerbaijani integration with the EU, European Commission President
Romano Prodi said at a Friday press conference in Baku.

He said it was the central item on his negotiations with Azerbaijani
officials, including President Ilham Aliyev.

Europe is ready for cooperation within the framework of the New
Neighbors policy, Prodi said. Everyone wants to see fruit and
benefits of expanded Europe, and Azerbaijan will get an access to
the 500-million European market through the New Neighbors initiative,
he said. The initiative will also promote broader cultural and public
relations between the EU and Azerbaijan, Prodi said.

He said the Baku meetings assured him that it was necessary to launch
the New Neighbors policy immediately. Cooperation priorities will
be defined at further negotiations between the European Union and
Azerbaijan. The New Neighbors initiative embraces Azerbaijan, Armenia
and Georgia, and all countries will enjoy the same approach. Yet
cooperation priorities will be different in each case, Prodi said.

The European Commission supports negotiations between presidents and
foreign ministers of Azerbaijan and Armenia on the Karabakh conflict
and hopes for settlement with the mediation of the OSCE Minsk Group,
Prodi said. He said that the European Union will not interfere with the
dialog but it may assist the return of refugees and assistance to the
development of Azerbaijan and Armenia after the Karabakh settlement.

Baku wants close integration with European institutions, Azerbaijani
Prime Minister Artur Rasi-zade said at a Friday meeting with Prodi.

Azerbaijan is the only South Caucasian country, which has repaid $57
million in EU loans in full, he said.

The European Union is implementing over 25 joint projects in
Azerbaijan, primarily in the sphere of transport, telecommunications,
energy and foods.