The European Commission is ready to speed up the conclusion of agreements with Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan to address the issue of gas supplies to Europe. It is reported by Spiegel Online, citing two papers prepared for the Energy Union EU. This structure will be adjusted in the future cooperation in energy issues. However, Spiegel calls this a political decision "questionable."
According to documents in the current year the EU intends to sign with Baku and Ashgabat memoranda of understanding, which should be part of a package to improve the "stability" of supplying Europe with natural gas. The EU would like to develop this package until 2016.
"The EU will use all the foreign policy tools to strengthen the strategic energy partnership with producer and transit countries," quotes the document Spiegel Online. These are: Algeria, Turkey, Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan, the Middle East and several African countries. The project also involves the intensification of partnership with Norway, the US and Canada.
According to the publication, some of these partners seem to be very doubtful. Turkmenistan has perhaps the world's largest reserves of natural gas, but at the same time, the authorities in Ashgabat are a dictatorial regime, and according to the rating of Transparency International, the country is among the ten most corrupt countries on earth. Azerbaijan ranks 162 out of 180 in the ranking of press freedom. -02D-
Politics
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Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan made an unexpected statement during a government session, emphasizing the need for a strategic deal with Azerbaijan. According to him, the future peaceful coexistence of the two countries must be guaranteed for the next century, and addressing this issue is the most crucial and fundamental task for both sides.
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A new draft agreement on financing climate programs, unveiled at the 29th session of the UN Conference on Climate Change (COP29), proposes allocating at least $1.3 trillion (€1.23 trillion) annually for climate protection measures and adaptation to the impact of climate change, according to a 34-page document released on Wednesday. The draft, developed with input from developing nations, aims to address the needs of the world's poorest countries, though several contentious issues remain unresolved, AFP reported.
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On November 13, representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the Afghan Taliban held talks in Baku as part of the COP29 conference. According to a report by Turan correspondent, the discussions took place behind closed doors and lasted for over an hour. No statements were made to the press following the meeting. Furthermore, conference security prevented journalists from asking questions to the meeting participants.
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Kichikhanim Khalilova, the wife of arrested public activist and first-group disabled person, Famil Khalilov, reported being followed during her time at the COP29 conference on November 13. She had been accredited in the "Green Zone" as a civil rights activist. From the moment she entered the conference area, a young man began to follow her.
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