Azerbaijan, EU agree to continue talks on new bilateral agreement in Baku PHOTO

Azerbaijan and the European Union have agreed to advance negotiations on a new bilateral agreement, with the next round of talks scheduled to take place in Baku in early June, according to a statement released on April 17.

The decision was reached during a meeting held on 16 April in Brussels between delegations from Azerbaijan and the EU, aimed at resuming discussions on a comprehensive bilateral agreement and continuing consultations on the Partnership Priorities document, Caliber.Az reports, citing the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry.

The Azerbaijani delegation was led by Deputy Foreign Minister Yalchin Rafiyev, while the EU side was headed by Deputy Managing Director of the European External Action Service Audrone Perkauskiene.

Both sides described the discussions as constructive, noting progress in mutual understanding on key aspects of the two documents under negotiation. The talks also focused on planning the next stages of the process.

The upcoming round in Baku is expected to further refine the framework of cooperation between Azerbaijan and the EU across political, economic, and institutional dimensions.

The Azerbaijani delegation included representatives from several key government bodies, including the Ministries of Economy, Justice, Energy, Digital Development and Transport, Finance, and Labour and Social Protection, as well as the Central Bank, State Customs Committee, SOCAR, and other regulatory institutions.

As part of the visit, Yalchin Rafiyev also held meetings with European Commission Deputy Director-General for Climate Action Jan Dusik and Deputy Director-General for Environment Patrick Child. During these meetings, the sides exchanged views on establishing an Azerbaijan–European Union dialogue format on climate action and environmental issues, as well as on initiatives put forward within the framework of the COP process and international organisations related to climate and the environment.

By Vugar Khalilov