“Conclusions on the South Caucasus” by the COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, 27 February 2012.
Here are some of the provisions related to Azerbaijan within the adopted Council conclusions on the South Caucasus:
“…The EU takes note of the progress made in the negotiations on an Association Agreement between the EU and Azerbaijan and encourages enhanced efforts to make further progress. The EU also expresses its commitment to upgrading the trade and investment provisions of the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement, which would serve as a basis for Azerbaijan’s future WTO membership and a possible DCFTA with the EU. The EU also welcomes the
imminent start of Visa Facilitation and Readmission Agreement negotiations.
The EU emphasises the need for progress in democratic reform, the rule of law and respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, especially in freedom of expression and assembly, as well as principles of international law as a crucial factor for the further deepening of the EU’s bilateral relations with Azerbaijan. The EU notes that further efforts are required in this regard. The EU will closely monitor developments in Azerbaijan leading up to the
Presidential elections in 2013.
The EU calls on Azerbaijan to extend an invitation to the Special Rapporteur of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe for political prisoners.
The EU also stresses the importance of making further efforts in fighting corruption, as a key condition for the success of all reform and modernization efforts, especially those affecting economic development.
The EU recalls the importance of energy issues for EU-Azerbaijan relations and notes recent intensified cooperation. The EU welcomes progress in the realisation of the Southern Corridor in this regard, including the launching of negotiations between Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan and the EU on the development of a Trans-Caspian Pipeline…
The EU expresses its concern at the slow progress in the negotiations between Armenia and Azerbaijan to resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. In this regard, the EU continues to supports the OSCE Minsk Group and acknowledges in this context the efforts of the President of the Russian Federation Dmitryi Medvedev to achieve progress in trilateral talks. The EU reiterates its support for the Madrid principles and calls on Armenia and Azerbaijan to step up their efforts to reach agreement on those principles as a basis for peace. The EU recalls the joint statement of the presidence of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chair countries at the G8 Summit in Deauville on 26 May 2011 and the commitments made by the Presidents of both countries in the framework of the Minsk Group, most recently in Sochi, and calls for their full
implementation. In this regard, the EU expresses concern on increased tension along the Line of Contact and underlines the importance of urgent steps to implement the ceasefire and to adopt appropriate confidence building measures…”.
Source: http://www.consilium.europa.eu/uedocs/cms_Data/docs/pressdata/EN/foraff/128197.pdf