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BAKU-BRUSSELS (Azerbaijan-European Union relations)
The European Union
Brussels, 9 November 1993
Statement on Nagorno-Karabakh
The European Union condems the breach of the ceasefire agreement reached on 24 October 1993
in the region of Nagorno-Karabakh and calls upon all forces to withdraw from the recently occu-
pied territories. The European Union reiterates the importance it attaches to the territorial integrity
andsovereignty of the Republic of Azerbaijan, in accordance with the principles of the CSCE.
The European Union is particularly concerned at the fate of tens of thousands of civilians who
are fleeing the fighting. Receiving and protecting these refugees must be a priority for the interna-
tional community. Moreover, the presence of these refugees increases the risk of the conflict becom-
ing an international one and threatens the stability of the whole region.
The European Union will continue its humanitarian aid to the affected population and would call
upon all States in the region to facilitate the convoying of the aid.
The European Union reaffirms its total support for the efforts undertaken by the CSCE Minsk
Group in order to find a lasting political solution to the conflict in Nargorno-Karabakh. It prevails
upon the parties to the conflict to restore the ceasefire broken on 24 October 1993.
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BAKU-BRUSSELS (Azerbaijan-European Union relations)
Joint Declaration of the European Union and
the Republics of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia
Luxembourg, 22 June 1999
1. The first meeting of the European Union with the Heads of State of the Republic of Armenia,
the Republic of Azerbaijan and Georgia took place in Luxembourg on 22 April 1996, for the signa-
ture of the Partnership and Cooperation Agreements (PCAs) between the European Communities,
their Member states and the states of the South Caucasus.
Today, on the eve of their entry into force, we reiterate our intention to use the Agreements as a
platform to strengthen our mutual links on the basis of common values, principles and objectives set
out in the preambles and in Articles 1-4 of the PCAs. We note that in the preambles to each of the
PCAs, the Parties have set out what they consider to be necessary elements support for which will
contribute to safeguarding of peace and stability in Europe.
2. The European Union stresses the political and economic importance it attaches to the South
Caucasus region. It recalls that the PCAs are intended to facilitate the gradual rapprochement of the
South Caucasus Republics to a wider area of cooperation in Europe and neigbouring regions.
3. The PCAs provide the framework and the basis for the development of a far-reaching partner-
ship with the EU on political, trade and investment issues. The EU encourages its partners to make
full use of the opportunities provided for in the agreements. We expect the first Cooperation Coun-
cils under the PCAs to be held as soon as possible.
4. We emphasise the importance of the rule of law and good governance. The EU undertakes to
support the efforts of the republics of the South Caucasus to strengthen democratic institutions and
to protect individual human rights.
We agree to intensify our cooperation on these issues both through political dialogue foreseen
in Article 5 of the PCAs and through ongoing contacts between the three governments of the region
and EU-missions.
5. We also recognise that the rule of law and the development of a civil society are essential for a
thriving private sector. The EU calls upon the states to create transparent and fair legislative frame-
works to enable companies to do business and to attract foreign investment. We attach the greatest
importance to the harmonisation of economic legislation and regulations with European norms, as
foreseen in the PCAs. The European Community will continue to assist the South Caucasian states
in achieving this objective.
6. We recognise that the conflicts in the South Caucasus are impeding the political and economic
development of the three states and their cooperation.
We support all efforts of the parties themselves and those carried out in the relevant international
organizations, namely the OSCE (the Minsk Group for the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and the Mis-
sion in Georgia, for South Ossetia) and the UN (Special Representative of the U.N. Secretary Gen-
eral in Georgia, for Abkhazia) to contribute to acceptable solutions in order to normalise political
and economic relations and to provide guarantees for the safe return of refugees.
We agree that the conflicts must be resolved through peaceful negotiations and fully respecting
existing agreements.
7. The EU considers that the effectiveness of its assistance is connected to the development of the
peace processes in the region. It therefore stands ready to use its instruments to underpin concrete
progress. It attaches particular importance to regional cooperation, post-conflict rehabilitation and
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BAKU-BRUSSELS (Azerbaijan-European Union relations)
reconstruction, and the attraction of investment to former conflict zones. The EC has already pro-
vided assistance to the region valued at 845 million Euros in 1992-1998, in grants alone. We agree
that future EC assistance must be targeted upon the issues set out in this Joint Declaration and that
particular priority should be accorded to those referred to in this paragraph.
We note moreover that implementation of the TACIS programme, as defined in the new EC
Regulation, will increase the impact of assistance by taking better account of each country's condi-
tions via a dialogue-driven approach.
8. We emphasise the importance of regional cooperation for the creation of amicable relations
between the states of the region and for the sustainable development of their economies. We rec-
ognise the value of TACIS in this respect and in particular the initiatives the EU has taken through
TRACECA and INOGATE.
9. The rehabilitation of transport, telecommunication and other relevant network infrastructure
systems in the region, including the Baku-Nakhichevan and Yerevan-Julfa railways and North-
South links between Russia and Georgia is a very important confidence-building measure. We agree
to create favourable conditions for the reopening of these communication links as soon as possible,
and subsequently, as appropriate, of other links between the three states and their neighbours.
10. We reiterate our commitment to implement and to develop further the Basis multilateral
Agreement on International Transport for Development of the Europa-The Caucasus-Asia Corridor
signed at Baku on 8 September 1998. The INOGATE conference and the Umbrella Agreement
initiated in Brussels on 17 February 1999 have provided a framework for the modernisation and
extension of pipeline networks. These initiatives will bring economic advantages to all countries of
the region. The Energy Charter Treaty offers a basis for cooperation in trade, investment and transit-
related issues in the energy sector.
11. We consider that secure export routes for Caspian oil and gas will be crucial to the future
prosperity of the region, to the foreign companies investing in exploitation of those reserves, and to
international markets. The construction of multiple pipelines is therefore logical and desirable, bear-
ing in mind that decisions on the specific routes chosen, and the timing of those decisions, should
remain essentially commercial ones for the companies concerned. We also attach importance to
revitalising the existing pipeline networks.
We recognize that such decisions will need to be made in consulation with the countries through
which the routes will pass.
12. We shall draw up work programmes, setting out in detail how the European Union's partner-
ship and cooperation with the states of the region and its instruments can help to achieve the objec-
tives set out in this declaration.
13. We shall initiate a periodical political dialogue on a regional basis, as foreseen in Article 5
of the PCAs.
14. The European Union welcomes the accession of Georgia to the Council of Europe. It en-
courages all South Caucasian countries to bring about the conditions which will allow them to join
international institutions, including the Council of Europe and the World Trade Organisation, as
soon as possible.
15. In this context, we welcome the meeting of the speakers of the Parliaments of Armenia,
Azerbaijan and Georgia in Strasbourg on 15 March 1999 and the joint declaration issued by them
on that date.