KARABAKH CONFLICT OBSTACLE FOR EASTERN PARTNERSHIP
PanARMENIAN.Net
02.12.2008 17:18 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The Nagorno Karabakh conflict is an obstacle for the
European Partnership, according to the head of the European Commission
delegation to Azerbaijan.
"The European Union will brisk up activities for soonest resolution of
the conflict," Amb. Alan Waddams said. "At that, the EU will endorse
the OSCE Minsk Group," he added, Trend Azeri news agency reports.
The European Commission is to propose pulling the EU’s six post-Soviet
neighbors closer to the West by recognizing their "European
aspirations" and creating a new "European Economic Area."
The new EU policy – first floated by Poland and Sweden in May –
proposes signing "Association Agreements" with Belarus, Moldova,
Ukraine, Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan in the next few years and to
"acknowledge the European identity and aspirations of these countries."
The draft communique underlines that the new pacts, which recall
the association treaties signed with Poland or Lithuania prior to
the 2004 round of enlargement, do not amount to a promise of future
accession. "The conclusion of Association Agreements will be without
prejudice to the partners’ European aspirations."
The draft communique proposes holding an "Eastern Partnership
Summit" in June 2009 to launch the project. Follow-up meetings of
EU and Eastern Partnership foreign ministers are to take place each
Spring. "Senior officials" from the "27 + 5 (6)" countries are to
meet twice-yearly to prepare for the ministerials.