Why is energy cooperation between Azerbaijan and EU complicated?

There are some factors that hinder development of strategic cooperation between Azerbaijan and EU in the energy sector, Tomislava Penkova, expert of the Milano-based Institute of International Political Studies.

“At first, from the viewpoint of EU, Azerbaijan is interested exceptionally in the energy cooperation and pays less importance to other components of integration. Some EU officials have even offered to “use” energy as “a small change” to achieve progress in reforms in Azerbaijan, she told Interfax-Azerbaijan agency.

Penkova added that though the approach “more for more” applied by the European Union in the “Eastern Partnership” stimulates development of cooperation in the energy field to the detriment of other sectors, in the long-term Brussels hopes to see progress in all the fields.

“Secondly, future cooperation in the energy field depends on the EU policy in the region, which is absent at present,” Penkova mentioned.

“Thirdly, energy relationships with Russia have not been settled either. All these three factors complicate energy relationships between Brussels and Baku,” expert said.

* Since 2008 the Azerbaijani government openly stated that while exporting its gas to Europe Azerbaijan will take into account only commercial elements of the future contracts.—0—