EU FOREIGN MINISTERS ADOPTED STATEMENT ON SOUTH CAUCASUS

PanARMENIAN.Net
08.12.2009 23:40 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ EU Foreign Ministers met Tuesday in Brussels
to adopt a statement on South Caucasus. The document contains the
following conclusions:

"1. The Council recalls the Conclusions of the European Council on
19-20 March 2009, as well as the Joint Declaration of the Prague
Summit on 7 May 2009, which established the Eastern Partnership, as a
specific Eastern dimension of the European Union Neighbourhood Policy.

This Partnership entails a new vision for the development of relations
between the European Union and Eastern Partners, on the basis of
common values and principles, including democracy, the rule of law and
respect for human rights. The Partnership includes the prospect of
concluding Association Agreements, including Deep and Comprehensive
Free Trade Areas (DCFTAs), between the EU and Partner countries that
are willing and able to enter into such a deeper engagement.

2. The Council welcomes the expressed commitment of Armenia, Azerbaijan
and Georgia to strive for an enhancement of their respective relations
with the EU on the basis of the perspective provided through the
Eastern Partnership.

3. The Council underlines the importance of the political association
and gradual economic integration of partner countries with the EU,
including, when the countries are members of the WTO and ready to
comply with the resulting commitments, the establishment of DCFTAs. In
this context, the EU has started preparations for upgrading its
contractual relations with the three South Caucasian countries. The
process will be guided by the principles of inclusiveness,
differentiation and conditionality, as well as joint ownership. The
Council welcomes the presentation of proposals for draft negotiating
directives for Association Agreements, aiming at developing ambitious
and comprehensive agreements going beyond existing commitments, while
taking into account country-specific circumstances. It will proceed to
a timely adoption of these directives and looks forward to the start
of negotiations on Association Agreements with each of the respective
countries, taking into account the relevant conditionalities.

4. The EU will continue to promote stability, cooperation, prosperity
and good governance throughout the South Caucasus and remains committed
to contribute to this end, including through technical assistance
programmes," EU official Web site reports.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress