European Parliament outlined priorities of new EU-Azerbaijan agreement

The new agreement between the European Union (EU) and Azerbaijan should contribute to combating corruption, money laundering and tax evasion, as well as to country's progressing towards basic freedoms. This was stated by the committee of the European Parliament.

Now, the EU's relationships with Azerbaijan are governed by the 1999 agreement on partnership and cooperation. The EU is the country's first trading partner in export-import transactions, as well as the largest source of foreign investments.

The MEPs regard also important to intensify the EU's participation in the peaceful settlement of the Karabakh conflict.

When signing the agreement, the EU will not be able to ignore the topics of democracy and human rights in Azerbaijan, experts believe.

In the opinion of Togrul Juvarly, a member of the Azerbaijan National Public Committee for European Integration (ANPCEI), the European Commission and other EU bodies have to take into account the opinion of the European Parliament.

Both parties of the new agreement need each other, he believes. "For Azerbaijan, the EU is a major buyer of its oil and gas, and a source of investments. For the EU, Azerbaijan is important as a country at the crossroads of Europe and Asia," Mr Juvarly has stated.