Speech by Elmar Mammadyarov, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan, at the Visegrad Group – Eastern Partnership Meeting of Foreign Ministers

Budapest, April 29, 2014

Dear Minister Martonyi,

Distinguished colleagues,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

First of all, I would like to express my gratitude for a warm welcome and hospitality extended to us here in Budapest.

The Ministerial meetings have become traditional annual gatherings formaximizing synergy between Vishegrad Group (V4) and Eastern Partnership countries. I believe today’s meeting will be a good opportunity to take stock of our previous discussions and to explore ways on further strengthening this dialogue.

In the case of Azerbaijan, the success of our partnership with V4 is rooted in anexcellent track record of our bilateral cooperation. We regularly maintain a high-level political dialogue on issues of common interest. Our countries also interact in the inter-parliamentary cooperation framework. Joint Intergovernmental Commissions with majority of V4 countries provide a good platform forstrengthening the economic dimension of this cooperation.

As a leading economy in the South Caucasus, Azerbaijan is the biggest trade partner of V4 countries. Last year Azerbaijan’s trade turnover with V4 countries totaled around a billion USD and we are pleased to note that this trend is on increase. Remarkably, both sides have managed to diversify the trade portfolio by going beyond the traditional energy sector and seizing opportunities that the non-oil sector provides such as agriculture, construction, heavy industry and pharmaceuticals. Azerbaijan also remains the most attractive market for V4 countries in terms of non-oil sector investment.

This said, V4 countries are our important partners also in the EU context. Recently, in Prague, we marked a five-year anniversary of Eastern Partnership. V4 countries have been instrumental in designing, developing and strengthening the mechanisms of this new engagement that encompass a broad range of political, security and economic issues.

Azerbaijan has been consistent in stating that we are interested in building our relations with EU based on common interests and mutually agreed priorities. Thevalue of this partnership is predetermined by past and present successful engagements between my country and the European Union.

Azerbaijan has pledged its support to ensuring European energy security by enabling the realization of the strategic Southern Gas Corridor. Following the adoption of the strategically important joint declaration on the Southern Gas Corridor between Azerbaijan and EU in 2011, we took a major step that testified to our dedication to enable the prompt development of the Corridor. The Trans-Anatolian gas pipeline (TANAP)project, as a strategic midstream component of the Southern Gas Corridor created regulatory and commercial predictability as well as ensured our partners that the Azerbaijani natural gas will reach Europe. Last summer, the Trans-Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) was chosen for the delivery of Azerbaijani gas to our European partners. Finally, last December, the Shah-Deniz stage 2 Final Investment Decision was made. Thus, TANAP and TAP to be commissioned in the coming 4-5 years will help meet strategic energy demands of our partners in Southern Europe and envisage future volumes to export to Central Europe. Shah-Deniz stage 2 projectwill also boost interconnectivity in Europe energy infrastructure.

We also welcome the strengthening of the legal basis of our cooperation with EU. The recently signed Visa Facilitation and Readmission Agreements as well as Mobility Partnership will open up opportunities for closer interaction among our citizens.

Comprehensive Institution Building (CIB) is another joint initiative which we have developed within Eastern Partnership. Through CIB’s we strive to attract more added value of EU resources to realization of institutional reform plans. As of today, 3 group of beneficiary institutions are fully functional, amongst which capacity building of human resources in civil service have been chosen as a priority.

V4 countries have also been partnering with us in a number of EU twining projects. We look forward to continued cooperation in several projects in Azerbaijan foreseeing implementation of best practices in the public sector institutions.

Dear colleagues,

I want to stress a point on position of EU on unresolved protracted conflicts in the Eastern Partnership area. Particularly, Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict remain an issue of great concern. The just and soonest resolution of this conflict on the basis of UNSC resolutions and therefore restoration of territorial integrity of Azerbaijan within its internationally recognized borders, as well as return internally displaced persons to the place of their origin will strengthen peace and stability, create conditions for a fully-fledged regional cooperation.

Finally, I would be remiss not to say a couple of words about the way we see our future engagement with EU.

You would all agree that integration is a multidimensional process that envisages fulfillment of two important criteria of aspiration and capacity. Azerbaijan has consistently reiterated its capacity-driven aspiration to develop more goal-oriented and diverse agenda rather confining itself to limited areas of cooperation inspired by unilateral priorities. We believe that the Association framework currently offered by EU does not reflect the needs of both Azerbaijan and EU. We are readyto work closely with EU on developing a bilateral framework of strategic nature.

Thank you.