The Messenger, Georgia
Oct 22 2004

Poland supports Azerbaijan’s bid to join the EU and NATO

According to the Azeri newspaper Zerkalo.Baku, Poland is ready to
help Azerbaijan to become a member the European Union and NATO and to
render assistance in solving the Karabakh problem peacefully.
Speaking at the opening ceremony of Poland’s new Embassy in Baku,
Polish Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Andjei Zalutski said,
“Relations between Poland and Azerbaijan are at a high level in the
political sphere. We intend to render assistance to the integration
of Azerbaijan into the European Union and NATO. We have a group of
experts who are ready to share their experience.” Zalutski added
during his three-day official visit to Baku that Poland can render
necessary assistance for such kind of integration, as it is currently
preparing to chair the committee of ministers of the Council of
Europe from next year.
At the same time, Zalutski noted that this issue very much depends on
the Azeri side as well. “If Azerbaijan has such intentions, then we
are ready to support it and to share our experience with it,”
stressed the diplomat. As he said, integration into European
structures is a very long process involving great reforms, especially
in the legislative sphere. “The doors of the European Union must be
open to everyone who aspires to join,” Zalutski thinks.
As for bilateral relations, according to the diplomat there are very
good prospects between Poland and Azerbaijan and not only in the
political sphere. “We have to enlarge contacts at the level of trade
and industrial chambers, and to increase commodity turnover. Active
cooperation must continue in the spheres of culture and tourism,”
stated Zalutski.
Regarding Nagorno-Karabakh, the Polish minister stressed the need to
look for peaceful ways to resolve this problem. “We support the
territorial integrity of the country and as the chair of the
committee of the ministers in the Council of Europe from next year,
Poland will help to settle this conflict,” he promised.