EU Foreign Ministers adopted statement on South Caucasus

PanARMENIAN.Net - EU Foreign Ministers met Tuesday in Brussels to adopt a statement on South Caucasus. The document contains the following conclusions:



"1. The Council recalls the Conclusions of the European Council on 19-20 March 2009, as well as the Joint Declaration of the Prague Summit on 7 May 2009, which established the Eastern Partnership, as a specific Eastern dimension of the European Union Neighbourhood Policy. This Partnership entails a new vision for the development of relations between the European Union and Eastern Partners, on the basis of common values and principles, including democracy, the rule of law and respect for human rights. The Partnership includes the prospect of concluding Association Agreements, including Deep and Comprehensive Free

Trade Areas (DCFTAs), between the EU and Partner countries that are willing and able to enter into such a deeper engagement.



2. The Council welcomes the expressed commitment of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia to strive for an enhancement of their respective relations with the EU on the basis of the perspective provided through the Eastern Partnership.



3. The Council underlines the importance of the political association and gradual economic integration of partner countries with the EU, including, when the countries are members of the WTO and ready to comply with the resulting commitments, the establishment of DCFTAs. In this context, the EU has started preparations for upgrading its contractual relations with the

three South Caucasian countries. The process will be guided by the principles of inclusiveness, differentiation and conditionality, as well as joint ownership. The Council welcomes the presentation of proposals for draft negotiating directives for Association Agreements, aiming at developing ambitious and comprehensive agreements going beyond existing commitments, while taking into account country-specific circumstances. It will proceed to a timely adoption of these directives and looks forward to the start of negotiations on Association Agreements with each of the respective countries, taking into account the relevant conditionalities.



4. The EU will continue to promote stability, cooperation, prosperity and good governance throughout the South Caucasus and remains committed to contribute to this end, including through technical assistance programmes," EU official Web site reports.