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By Trend

The relations between Azerbaijan and the European Union progress well, and the country's relations with the EU are much broader and serious in content and cover far-reaching objectives, the Azerbaijani Ambassador to Belgium, Fuad Isgandarov, told Euractiv.

Speaking about cooperation between the parties in the energy sector, the diplomat noted that Azerbaijan welcomed the €2.5 billion EIB financing of TAP and TANAP which has materialized the EU’s strategic approach to the energy partnership with Azerbaijan.

"It is a measure of success of all involved that the first gas from Azerbaijan will be delivered to Turkey this summer already, and that it should arrive in Europe as of 2020. We will welcome Commissioner Gunther Oettinger in Baku in the coming days in the margins of the Caspian International Oil and Gas Conference, to whom we pay a big tribute for his valuable contributions to the realization of the Southern Gas Corridor in his previous capacity of EU Energy Commissioner," he said.

The envoy further noted that Azerbaijan is seriously engaged with the EU in further developing connectivity concept in the region by capitalizing on the realization of tangible transport projects.

"As testified by Commissioner Johannes Hahn, Azerbaijan is very well placed to play a key role in linking Europe and Asia. We are also glad to hear that the European Union will continue to support the Port of Baku in becoming an international logistics and trade hub," he said.

In general, according to him, Azerbaijan is eager to build on pragmatic and positive outcomes in the relations with the EU by reflecting on ongoing negotiations on a new comprehensive agreement between Azerbaijan and the EU.

"The pace of negotiations on different chapters may vary but this does not question our objective to achieve a good agreement rather than a speedy one," Isgandarov said.

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