“A free visa regime may be applied between Azerbaijan and the European Union after a few years,” said Azerbaijani Deputy Foreign Minister Mahmud Mammadguliyev.
M. Mammadguliyev noted that the sides have simplified the visa regime to some extent; no visa is needed for diplomatic passports any more. As regards with service and ordinary passports, issues of term, documents and duty have been reduced.
“We’ve been fulfilling the agreement on issues of both visa and readmission. Now time has come for us to sit back and watch the fulfillment of these agreements, and also to raise an issue that what can we do to completely lift the visa regime in future. We’ve seen that if a country fulfills the initial documents properly, then an action plane is developed to finally eliminate the application of any visa regimes between the sides. Holding such discussion is probable. Necessary works to prepare an action plan may begin. If so, a free visa regime may be applied between Azerbaijan and the European Union after a few years”.
The deputy minister added that Azerbaijan’s relations with the European Union are fine, and these relations sometimes bear strategic importance.
“However, the European Union must take up a position satisfactory for us regarding some issues, and offer us its support. We have signed several documents in some countries, including France, Hungary and Italy, on strategic cooperation. I think there should be a legal document on strategic cooperation between the two sides rather than an association agreement,” he concluded.
`There should be strategic cooperation document between Azerbaijan and EU rather than association agreement`
25 February 2015
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