EU, CoE to carry projects for journalists, court staff, employees of administrative authorities in Azerbaijan

  13 October 2016    Read: 3088
EU, CoE to carry projects for journalists, court staff, employees of administrative authorities in Azerbaijan
A ceremony for presenting the mid-term report of the EU-CoE joint projects intended for journalists, court staff and employees of administrative authorities in Azerbaijan was held in Baku Oct. 13.
Speaking at the event, Dragana Filipovic, head of the Council of Europe Office in Azerbaijan, said the total cost of the project, which is being carried out as part of the cooperation program for 2015-17, amounts to 4.7 million euros.

She noted that the projects are aimed at encouraging freedoms of media and speech, countering bribery in administrative bodies, enhancing capabilities of the Academy of Justice, and training of judges.

“The general development of a country is hampered when civic society is underdeveloped. We have implemented the projects in accordance with countries’ needs,” she added.

Addressing the event, Malena Mard, head of the EU Delegation in Baku, underlined the ambitious cooperation between the EU and Azerbaijan in all spheres.

According to her, the EU has been operating in Azerbaijan for 25 years and the total of cost of the projects implemented in the country is 4.6 million euros.

“We are ready to cooperate with Azerbaijan on an equal footing. We are planning some projects and the two sides are ambitious about it,” she added.

Later on, Vassilis Maragos, Head of Unit, Regional Programmes Neighbourhood East, made a speech at the event, noting that Azerbaijan and the EU intend to launch a new format of cooperation.

He expressed hope that a mandate to negotiate in relation to this issue will be given soon.

“We hope that the projects carried out in Azerbaijan will produce concrete results. We expect them to be successful,” he added.

In his speech, Agil Gunashov, national coordinator of the Programmatic Co-operation Framework, said the program covers important spheres of the country.

Arkadi Sytine, Coordinator for the Council of Europe of the Programmatic Co-operation Framework, gave information about the program.

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