What the West wants from us, what it will give
With Azerbaijan during the last week European Union (EU) important meetings were held, documents were signed, as well as optimistic statements about continuous cooperation were voiced. So on July 18 Europe Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to Baku trip did and President With Ilham Aliyev after meeting Azerbaijan with European Union A Memorandum of Understanding on Strategic Partnership in the field of energy was signed between
A day later – on July 19, a delegation led by the Chairman of the European Parliament’s Foreign Relations Committee, David McAlister, visited Baku as part of a visit to the region. Azerbaijan He held a meeting with the president, members of the government, as well as opposition leaders and civil society representatives.
On July 19 in Brussels European Union–Azerbaijan The next meeting of the Cooperation Council was held, and after the meeting, Minister of Foreign Affairs Jeyhun Bayramov held a joint press conference with the EU Commissioner for Foreign Affairs, Joseph Borrell.
Meanwhile, Jeyhun Bayramov NATO It is also worth mentioning the meeting with Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.
Now, more details about the agreements reached and the statements made in these meetings.
On June 18, the Memorandum of Understanding between Azerbaijan and the European Union on Strategic Partnership in the field of energy Russian-Ukrainian war and was signed against the background of Western sanctions against Russia. After the war that started on February 24 this year, the European Union Russia has decided to give up its gas and is looking for alternative sources.
After the signing ceremony, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen for her determination and support for the European Union Inspiration He expressed his gratitude to Aliyev:
“Even before Russia’s rude intervention in Ukraine, Russia was in Europe gas supply was no longer reliable. Therefore, the European Union has decided to bypass Russia and turn to more reliable and trustworthy partners, and I am happy to consider Azerbaijan among them.”
He emphasized that the volume of gas sent from Azerbaijan to the European Union will be doubled.
Ursula von der Leyen is also the South of the European Union Gas He said that he has undertaken to expand the corridor.
“It is already a very important supply route for the European Union, through which 8 billion cubic meters gas is transported. We have been able to transmit it for several years 20 billion we will deliver to cubic meters. From next year we 12 billion we will reach the indicator of cubic meters, thus we will reduce the volume of gas supplies from Russia and make a significant contribution to Europe’s security of supply.”
President Inspiration Aliyev said in his statement to the press about the document that the Memorandum is a kind of road map for the future.
“We work bilaterally within the framework of the Eastern Partnership Program. The European Union is the main trade partner for Azerbaijan. The implementation of our plans will certainly increase the trade turnover for the sake of the welfare of our peoples.
He expressed confidence that the relations between the European Union and Azerbaijan have a great future and that they will achieve the solution of all planned issues.
The President of the European Commission said that in order to achieve its full potential, Azerbaijan must ensure investor confidence:
“The further involvement of civil society here, free and includes the presence of independent media”.
It is interesting that along with positive opinions in Azerbaijan, this agreement has opposition political caused concern that democratic reforms will be pushed to the background in the circles. This issue was also discussed in the meetings held in Baku with the delegation headed by the Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee of the European Parliament, David McAlister.
For example, PFCP chairman Ali Karimli expressed concern the European parliament delivered to the official:
“The officials of the European Union assured us that the increase in energy cooperation between the EU and Azerbaijan will not reduce the attention to human rights and freedoms in Azerbaijan. Agreement on Strategic Partnership between the EU and Azerbaijan will finally be completed.”
Note that, President Ilham Aliyev He received the delegation led by David McAlister and the institution To Azerbaijan brought to his attention that he was standing in a biased position. However, the head of state Azerbaijan that he wants to establish close relations with Europe, of parliament despite the efforts of some of its members, it is impossible to isolate Europe from Azerbaijan and Azerbaijan from Europe.
Before that, the President stated at the government meeting that active cooperation between the European Union and Azerbaijan was carried out this year: “As you know, we are working on a new agreement. Most of the agreement has been agreed and the issues that have not been agreed are being discussed. I hope that all issues will be agreed in the near future.”
It should be noted that the issue of the EU-Azerbaijan strategic agreement has been discussed for more than 6 years and was the main topic of the European Union-Azerbaijan Cooperation Council held in Brussels on July 19. EU Foreign Affairs Commissioner Joseph Borrell said that they have entered the most important stage of the negotiations:
“We are also in the crucial phase of negotiations on a new comprehensive cooperation and partnership agreement. This new agreement will enable stronger cooperation and policy dialogue between us. This is as well To Azerbaijan will support efforts to diversify its economy and create a healthy environment for business and foreign investment.
Joseph Borrell also spoke about sensitive and difficult issues in the field of cooperation between the EU and Azerbaijan. He said that he had exchanged views on these issues with Jeyhun Bayramov.
“Respect for human rights and the rule of law are mutually agreed priorities in our relations. Decisive progress is needed to create an environment for an active civil society to function. This is necessary to ensure respect for human rights in accordance with international standards and commitments undertaken by Azerbaijan. We especially drew attention to the new media law and held a discussion about it.
Commenting on the intensifying dialogue between Europe and Azerbaijan, political scientist Farhad Mammadov says that the global geopolitical situation is becoming more complicated every day:
“In such dangerous conditions, the geopolitical weight of the South Caucasus increases significantly. USA and the geo-economic importance of the region for the European Union includes two important areas such as energy and transport. The “Memorandum of Understanding on Strategic Partnership in Energy” signed between Azerbaijan and the European Union on July 18 raised cooperation between the parties to a new level. According to the agreement, 12 billion will be sent to Europe via the Southern Gas Corridor next year, and a few years later 20 billion m3 of gas will be transported”.
The political scientist emphasizes that the logistics capabilities of the region are highly valued by the West: “The main land trade and transit routes connecting Asia with Europe Russia, passes through Azerbaijan and Iran. The conflicting relations of the West with Moscow deprive Russia of the status of a reliable partner on the east-west route. Relations with Iran are still difficult to predict. Under such conditions, it is the only one between East and West route It passes through the South Caucasus – Azerbaijan and Georgia. The geographical position of our country, the largest commercial fleet in the Caspian Sea, modern infrastructure, shipbuilding opportunities and railways connected with neighbors, excluding Armenia Azerbaijan has increased its importance for the West many times. Logistic importance of the region USA President C. Biden In her letter to the President of Azerbaijan dated June 1, Mrs. von der Leyen emphasized it in her speech yesterday.
F. Mammadov says that Russia’s influence on the region should be significantly reduced in order to implement projects that are the geopolitical expectations of the West in safe conditions. According to him, for this, AzerbaijanArmenia relations should be normalized and as a result Russia in 2025 in Karabakh military must cease to exist. “The most dependent on Russia in the region Armenia to work Armenia–Turkey and Armenia-Azerbaijan as a result of the normalization of relations, it can reduce its economic and security dependence on Russia,” the analyst noted.
Turgut