Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2012-04-17-Speech-2-214-000"
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"en.20120417.19.2-214-000"2
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"Mr President, honourable Members, let me make three remarks, the first of which is a general one. The negotiations on association agreements with Eastern Partnership countries are making good progress. A few weeks ago, the first association agreement in the region – the one with Ukraine – was initialled. Four other negotiation processes are well under way, and we have recently decided to launch the deep and comprehensive free trade agreement component with three countries. We stand ready to consider taking a similar decision on Azerbaijan as soon as it joins the World Trade Organisation, and we are indeed ready to assist in any way we can.
Secondly, I agree with you that the European Union has a number of core interests in Armenia and Azerbaijan, as well as in the region at large. I also agree with those of you who made the point that this is not about the competition between those two countries, nor is it about the debate on who is – or who is not – more important. All partners – large or small – are important to me and to my colleagues, and should be important to the European Union. These interests relate, in particular, to security and stability. Democratic reforms, energy and investments – those are the core interests we have in that region. I believe that the association agreements, once in force, will be one of our most effective and valuable tools in promoting a number of core European Union values, as well as in promoting economic integration and enhancing the mobility of citizens.
Thirdly, I am glad to see that the European Parliament has also played an active role in closely monitoring the situation in the South Caucasus and, in particular, I am glad to see the progress that has been made in the negotiation of the association agreements. In recent months, you have adopted reports on the negotiations with Moldova and Georgia, and today on the negotiations with two additional countries. All included valuable recommendations and reflect the strong interest of the European Parliament in the implementation of the decisions of the Prague and Warsaw Eastern Partnership summits.
Finally, let me assure you that I am committed to engagement. I am committed to progress that is beneficial to the people on the ground. The vacuum is what I will continue to fight."@en1
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