AzerNews, Azerbaijan
Dec 2 2004

Italy opposes Turkey’s EU admission

Italy opposes admission of Turkey to the European Union (EU) and the
latter may get the EU membership only in 2014, Italian Deputy Foreign
Minister Margherita Boniver said in a meeting with Armenian Foreign
Minister Vardan Oskanian last Tuesday. The Italian diplomat wished
Turkey to open its borders with Armenia, which entered the EU New
Neighborhood

program this June, so that the former could be admitted to the EU.
Turkey has repeatedly stated that it will not open its borders with
Armenia unless the latter withdraws its armed forces from the
occupied lands of Azerbaijan.
The New Neighborhood program rejects the territorial claims by the EU
member states against their neighbors.

The Italian official seems not to have taken this into account and
her country intends to create artificial obstacles for the admission
of Turkey to the EU.
With regard to including the issue on the occupied lands of
Azerbaijan into the agenda of the UN General Assembly session,
Boniver said she backs settlement of the Upper Garabagh conflict
within the OSCE Minsk Group. The Italian diplomat stressed, however,
that her country will abstain from voting on any decision at the UN.
Former Italian Foreign Minister Mario Rafaelli was the first chairman
of the OSCE Minsk Group in 1992-1993. Several discussions were held
with the separatist regime of the Upper Garabagh in Rome in this
period.
The Italian deputy foreign minister’s “warm attitude” towards Armenia
may be explained by the increasing economic and trade relations
between the two countries.
The trade turnover between Italy and Armenia made up $49 million in
2002 and $59 million in 2003.

Disapproval
Prime Minister Artur Rasizada, in a meeting with Boniver on Thursday,
said he disapproves of her statement made in Yerevan that Italy would
abstain from the mentioned UN vote.
Boniver visited Baku as part of her tour of the South Caucasus
region.
Rasizada stated that Azerbaijan, unlike Armenia, has been subject to
aggression, and that Azeri civilians have been ousted from their
homes and the country’s territories occupied. These facts should be
taken into account when discussing the issue, the Azeri Prime
Minister said.
Touching upon economic relations, Rasizada said prospects exist for
developing such cooperation. Italy is a leading country in terms of
the turnover of goods with Azerbaijan, but most of the trade occurs
on oil, he said. The Prime Minister pointed out that Italy’s
investments in Azerbaijan are insignificant and emphasized that Baku
is interested in drawing Italian investors and this country’s
involvement in global transport projects.
Italian Deputy Foreign Minister Boniver said that the documents
signed during the current visit on establishing the Italy-Azerbaijan
Economic Council and the joint Chamber of Commerce and Industry will
serve strengthening of economic ties. She added that Italy can assist
Azerbaijan in developing small and medium enterprise in the country,
as her country possesses extensive experience in this area.