CE-Azerbaijan conversations on Action Plan with European Neighborhood Program
about to complete – EU special representative in South Caucasus countries

TREND Information, Azerbaijan
July 22, 2006

The talks between the EU and Azerbaijan on Action Plan with European
Neighborhood Program are about to complete, Trend reports quoting
Peter Semneby, EU special representative in South Caucasus countries.

Semneby said during his two-day visit in Baku he had talked to
foreign minister, ministers of defense, justice, as well as human
rights watchers, head of Azeri community of Nagorno-Karabakh, at Baku
office of UNHCR and so. The main question to have been discussed
was Nagorno-Karabakh problem, democratic institutions development,
election processes, human rights, law domination, regional cooperation
development. Mr Semneby said almost all items of the Action Plan had
been approved, apart from some technical issues.

Mr Semneby said the Action Plan approval plays a big role in
Azerbaijan’s integration with the EU. ‘Azerbaijan is the country
of special significance for the EU, but Azerbaijan’s interests
also include developing strategic partnership with the Union’, he
underlined, mentioning significance of democratic institutions and
human rights development.

Mr Semneby also said he hoped for EU-Azeri Action Plan approval
by mid-fall.