Benita Ferrero-Waldner: Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan important countries for EU

PanARMENIAN.Net - Commissioner for External Relations and European Neighborhood Policy, Benita Ferrero-Waldner will be traveling to Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan from January 19 to 22. During her visit the Commissioner will discuss proposals to substantially upgrade the level of political engagement with the EU's Eastern neighbors in a new Eastern Partnership (EaP), Anahit Azatyan, a spokesperson for the European Commission Delegation to Armenia, told PanARMENIAN.Net



Implementation of each country's European Neighborhood Policy (ENP) Action will also be discussed. In Georgia the Commissioner will discuss implementation of the up to €500 million pledged to re-launch the economy and resettle IDPs following last summer's conflict. In Armenia and Azerbaijan she will urge renewed efforts to find a settlement for Nagorno Karabakh.



Prior to her visit, Ms. Ferrero-Waldner said: "Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan are important countries for the EU, and we want to do more to help them advance in the reform process that will bring them greater prosperity and stability. The new Eastern Partnership offers the prospect of closer political and economic ties, with very concrete help to unlock the advantages available through the ENP - for example in the fields of trade, mobility and now, more importantly than ever, new measures to increase these partners' energy security and our own. A very special relationship with the EU is on offer to countries which choose to pursue reforms, particularly in improving democracy, human rights and rule of law".



She added, "The EU has been the key player in ending the conflict in Georgia, and continues to strive for progress in the Geneva process, while making the biggest overall contribution to financial assistance to get Georgia back to normal. Equally, the EU believes that the region will never attain its full potential as long the frozen conflict in Nagorno Karabakh remains unresolved, and I will want to hear from political leaders their views on the prospects for progress."



The trip will provide a timely opportunity to take stock of recent developments in the South Caucasus as well as political and economic reforms in Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia. Other topics that will be raised with interlocutors will include energy security; the situation of human rights and fundamental freedoms; economic consequences of the Georgia conflict on the region and the state of play of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict as well as other topics of regional concern.



In Armenia the Commissioner will welcome a new initiative to deploy EU experts inside the Armenian administration at a high level to support reform efforts. These reforms are essential to help Armenia draw the advantages of a closer relationship with Europe. The EU focuses in particular on reform of the judiciary and freedom of the media. Naturally the EU's support for the OSCE Minsk Group efforts to solve the Nagorno Karabakh conflict as well as improvements in Armenian-Turkish relations will also figure high on the agenda.