Azerbaijan Intends to Initiate Talks on Visa-Free Travel With European Union

Azerbaijan plans to start negotiations with the European Union on the introduction of a visa-free regime, Deputy Foreign Minister Mahmud Mammad-Guliyev said.

BAKU (Sputnik) — The visa facilitation agreement between Azerbaijan and the European Union has been in force from September 1, 2014, since then there have been no further talks to abolish visas between the EU countries and Baku.

"After the successful implementation of visa facilitation agreement with the European Union Azerbaijan will request the plan of actions for full abolition of visa regime with Europe," Mammad-Guliyev said, as quoted by the Trend news agency.

Mammad-Guliyev noted that the issue of compliance with the visa facilitation agreement was very important for Azerbaijan in order to seek further steps on visa abolition with the European Union.

On November 14, the Council of the European Union authorized the European Commission and High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini to open negotiations on behalf of the European Union on a Comprehensive Agreement between the European Union and Azerbaijan, which will replace the current agreement of 1996, stipulating economic, trade and social cooperation between the two sides.

Since 2008, Baku and Brussels have been cooperating within the framework of Eastern Partnership, an EU program seeking to establish closer ties between the European Union and several former Soviet republics. The partnership implies increase in integration with the bloc and financial aid flows, strengthening energy security and stipulation of the liberalization of visa regimes with the participating nations.