Azernews.Az

AzerNews Weekly presents an exclusive interview with the Ambassador of the European Union to Azerbaijan, Roland KOBIA.

Q. What are your impressions about the preparations of the Eurovision in Baku?

A. I am living in Azerbaijan since 2009. I have always been amazed at the speed the city of Baku is transforming. But this was nothing compared to what has happened over the last few months! Entire parts of Baku have been modernised; infrastructure, hotels, restaurants, parks have come out of the ground in time for the big day. By any standard that is impressive and authorities` commitment to the event is to be praised. Azerbaijan has given itself the means of its ambitions. This shows that whenever political will exists, things can happen and an entire nation can be mobilised behind a project.

So looking at the preparation phase, it is fair to say that Azerbaijan successfully passed the ``hardware test``, namely the physical challenges of organising the competition in Baku. I am convinced the grand final on Saturday 26th May will be grandiose, and will show the organisational talents and the capacity of the country to surround itself with the best collaborators to present the city under the best auspices. What also interests me is the ``software`` aspect, i.e. the human development in the country. Education must be a top priority for the country to strengthen what has been achieved, to turn the page of the past and to bring to the country even more, more lastingly and to all.

Also, the promotion of the values agenda in Azerbaijan would light the fire of the country, giving it another beautiful and attractive dimension. In the pyramid of human beings` aspirations in today`s world, self-fulfilment and freedom are as important as progress in material comfort. I trust this will be the next step, and the European Union, the 27 Member States of Europe, stand ready to continue supporting Azerbaijan on this path. I believe in the value of engagement. This is what the European Union proposes to its partners: peace, stability and prosperity. And to achieve that, we prefer to convince rather than to impose, to cooperate rather than to confront.

But let`s leave things where they need to be now, that is on the Eurovision as a great entertainment for the people. And it ought to be a popular event, which also celebrates diversity, tolerance and culture. In that sense, for me the Eurovision will in a way contribute to Azerbaijan`s vision to Europe.

Q. The annual progress report, issued on 15 May by the European Commission in Brussels, contains recommendations for Azerbaijan to speed up efforts on reaching a peace agreement with Armenia in Nagorno-Karabakh issue based on Madrid principles. Can you comment how Azerbaijan may unilaterally be more active in this issue?

A. The European Commission has actually recommended both countries, Armenia and Azerbaijan, to step up their efforts to reach an agreement. Of course, proposals can be made individually or collectively. The EU has always been a peace promoter, and we have been often successful in positively contributing to the settlement of conflicts. Look at the stabilisation in the Balkans, just to mention the EU`s neighbourhood. The EU considers the Nagorno-Karabakh as one of the key challenge in our neighbourhood and we are acutely aware of the dramatic consequences the conflict has had on hundreds of thousands of displaced people in Azerbaijan for the past two decades now. The current status-quo is not acceptable. OSCE Minsk group co-chairs` Presidents and the EU High Representative Ashton have made it clear at the G8 Summit in Deauville last year. The EU does not intent to set up a parallel negotiation process as it supports the OSCE Minsk Group, which was agreed by Azerbaijan and Armenia. But the EU wants to remain active, and continues to come up with ideas and proposals to help the overall process. The Minsk Group process did not yet manage to convince the two Parties to agreeing on a resolution of the conflict, but one should remember that a mediator can only facilitate and propose, while it is up to the Parties to agree to make peace.

So indeed the Parties to the conflict need to be resilient and step up the efforts to reach a peaceful solution as soon as possible. The EU is willing to be an honest broker the Parties can count in as not being biased, and to engage with both partners to bring to the fore a common vision for the future. The EU is taking concrete steps: it has appointed in 2011 an EU Special Representative for the region, Ambassador Lefort; it has implemented confidence-building measures since 2010 and will launch in 2012 a follow-up programme of some ˆ6 million. Those efforts will complement OSCE efforts and are aimed at preparing the populations for the day the political deal will be struck. This is what we call for in our progress report - and I want to believe that we echo the vast majority of the population in both countries when we do so.

Q. What are the next steps for the EU in Azerbaijan?

A. Our priority is to continue our positive agenda in Azerbaijan and step up efforts to bring Azerbaijan closer to the EU. Azerbaijan has been going through very difficult periods in its history and has not always been in full control of its own destiny. Azerbaijan does not want this any longer, and rightly so. Azerbaijan has grown today into an independent country. Therefore, the country looks for a solid and reliable partner, which respects its sovereignty and independence, while also being an attractive rules-based commercial partner. This is what Europe can offer.

The EU already has a very wide cooperation with Azerbaijan. Our agenda is political, meaning it covers all values and principles we want to share. It also covers cooperation in the fields of justice, agriculture, regional development. Of course, we already have an excellent cooperation and mutually shared interests in the field of energy. But we are willing to broaden our cooperation with the country and enter into a comprehensive ``Association Agreement``. This was the spirit of the Eastern Partnership President Aliyev committed to in 2009. The Agreement is being negotiated since July 2010 and progress is being made, with the next plenary session to be held in Brussels in June 2012. Let me highlight that such Agreement is not just a new agreement or a mere update of the Partnership and Cooperation framework we agreed in the late 90`s. It is the most comprehensive form of agreement we can offer to a partner. Such Agreement will replace the existing framework of cooperation and will offer important benefits to the country: easier mobility for Azerbaijani citizens to Europe, more trade and investments, more cooperation on foreign affairs and security matters, more energy diversification and energy security etc. But such an agreement requires political and economic reforms, as well as strong political will from the authorities. The incentive is there for the country, for its near and more distant future. The Agreement can cater for Azerbaijan`s domestic needs, notably the diversification of the economy based on free market principle and the development of a solid political system based on core values and the rule of law. And it will also cater for the country`s geopolitical interests, in a complex region marred with tensions and subject to very diverse influences.

I have no doubts that Europe is the future of Azerbaijan. And I have no doubts that this will be the conclusion of the thousands of EU citizens visiting the country in the coming days for the Eurovision. And the very next step for me and my family and friends will be to be on time on Saturday evening to enjoy the show at the Crystal Ball!