Today, the Azerbaijan National Platform of the European Union Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum (EPC) held an international conference on "Cooperation for regional stability and development" in Baku.

Shahla Ismayil, the country coordinator of the Azerbaijan National Platform of the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum, chairwoman of the Women's Society for Rational Development, opened the event and updted the participants on the Platform activities and events main goals.

Speaking of the cooperation between Azerbaijan and the European Union, Shahla Ismayil pointed on the challenges hindering this progress.

The coordinator of the platform emphasized the importance of provind and enabling environment to cooperation with the European Union in the process of civil society building.

Following the opening remarks, the first panel discussion explored "The role of civil society in European Union-Azerbaijan relations".

The European Union is ready to support increasing the potential of Civil Society in Azerbaijan

Speaking at the panel, European Union (EU) Ambassador to Azerbaijan Peter Mikhalko stressed the role of civil society building as of the main priorities for the EU: "Our productive cooperation with Azerbaijan continues to develop at a fast pace. Together, we can do a lot to build a healthy and sustainable society. We believe that despite the pandemic, conflicts, and some challenges, civil society development shall not be halted. The European Union is ready to support the development of CSO potential in Azerbaijan. For Azerbaijan to get closer to the European Union, a number of issues shall be resolved. It is important to review the grant legislation and remove obstacles. The European Union considers Civil Society Organisation in Azerbaijan as one of its main partners."

Peter Mikhalko noted that the European Union supports measures for post-conflict rehabilitation in Azerbaijan: "The European Union is ready to support Azerbaijan in the rehabilitation of liberated areas. Conflicts in the region remain fundamental problems. Their solution requires substantial efforts. The process of peace negotiations between Azerbaijan and Armenia with the help of the EU is aimed at achieving a stable settlement.

Sweden will support civil society building in Eastern Partnership countries

Another speaker, Sweden's ambassador to Azerbaijan Tobias Lorentzon, addressed the aduience reminding of the presidency of his country in the European Union as of January 2023: "Sweden has a number of priorities during its presidency of the EU. The expansion of cooperation with the countries of the Eastern Partnership, inter alia, is one of the most important dimensions. Half of the Swedish population are active participants in the civil society process. People of Sweden spend in averga 20 hours a month on SCO related acvities. Sweden will further support civil society building in Eastern Partnership countries."

Civil Society Institutes can also take a seat in the process

Ziya Guliyev, a member of the Management Board of the Azerbaijan Law Society, took the floor after two ambassadors and followed the discussion on the role of civil society in European Union-Azerbaijan cooperation: "Civil Society Organisations can also be a party to the consultations between the European Union and Azerbaijan. This has been a practise in some Eastern Partnership countries. The European Union has certain influence mechanisms for making this happen. One of our expectations is that civil society organisations will be officially accepted as parties in consultations on European integration.

Touching on the challenges faced by Civil Society Organisations, Shahla Ismayil invited the participants to look back into 2014, the year when the environment for CSOs has dramatically changed: "That said, the situation of Azerbaijan Civil Society Organisations was not encouraging in 2014 either. It has always been difficult to represent civil society in Azerbaijan. After 2014, the challenges we face are not only about access to finance. Currently, Civil Society Organisations also have serious problems on the registration and day-to-day operation. "International donor organizations have seized their activities in the country." – she concluded

The members of the Platform, Fuad Hasanov, Bakhtiyar Hajiyev, Vusala Huseynli, Zaur Akbar, Zohrab Ismayil, Ilgar Huseynli, Parviz Hashimli, editor-in-chief of the Gununsesi.info website, voiced their suggestions regarding the solution of existing problems in the field of civil society in Azerbaijan.

Russia's influence on the region is multi-faceted

The second panel of the conference invited participants to look into the "Impacts of geopolitical processes in the region on Azerbaijan".

Moderator of the panel, Vusala Huseynli, touched on the effects of the current situation in the region on Azerbaijan.

Vasif Huseynov, head of the Department of the International Relations Analysis Center, analyzed the situation in the region after the 44-day Patriotic War: "Before the war, Armenia was an uncontrollable enemy for Azerbaijan. In the post-war period, Armenia is still a controlled enemy. If a peace agreement is signed on the basis of the principles proposed by Azerbaijan, normal neighborly relations can be established between the countries of the South Caucasus. That said, we talk about the South Caucasus, the factor of Russia and Iran shall not be neglected. It is true that due to the Russia-Ukraine war, Russia's activity in the peace treaty negotiation process between Azerbaijan and Armenia has slowed down, but Russia's influence on the region still retains its multi-faceted forms.

"The increase in the role of the United States and the European Union in the peace treaty negotation process between Azerbaijan and Armenia shall be positively evaluated."

Azerbaijan-Turkey-Israeli cooperation to be continued in a new format

V. Huseynov also reminded of the strategic partnership between Azerbaijan and Turkey, including the positive dynamics in the relations between Israel and both countries, which represents serious concerns for Iran: "The Iranian factor poses new risks for the region. Nevertheless, with that factor in mind, Azerbaijan-Turkey-Israeli cooperation shall be continued in a new format."

Further elaborating on the topic, the director of the Caucasus Political Analysis Center, Ahmed Alili, warned of the threats in the region: "Azerbaijan is the only country that has a land border with Russia and Iran, while both are serious threats to the regional security. Also, land routes from north to south pass through Azerbaijan. Today the situation in the Black Sea, developments in the the north of the Caspian Sea curb marine transportation and makes land routes more and more attractive. Given these developments, Azerbaijan shall carefully access the existing threats and take more resolute steps."

A. Alili also praised EU role as one of key mediators in the normalization of relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia: "The agreement of both countries on recognizing each other's territorial integrity was reached with the mediation of the European Union."

Russia's share in Azerbaijan's import-export operations has increased

Later, Samir Aliyev, a member of the Board of Directors of "Support to Economic Initiatives", presented his analysis on the impact of the situation on the region's economy.

S. Aliyev reminded of Azerbaijan’s dependancy on Russia: "In particular, the share of Russia in the import and export of products related to the non-oil sector is still high. Russia's share in Azerbaijan's import-export operations has increased in recent years. But if the current inflation is taken into account, this increase is not that substantial."

Another panel speaker, Ms. Mehriban Rahimli, a representative of the Cooperation Program of the Black Sea Fund of the German Marshall Fund of the USA, touched on the humanitarian problems in the region and the challenges faced by ethnic Azerbaijanis in a result Russian-Ukrainian war: "The documents of many returnees after the war are not in order. Azerbaijanis with Ukrainian citizenship experience challenges with registration, documents and education. Civil Society Organisations of Azerbaijan are unable to influence the solution of such humanitarian issues due to their limited capabilities. Azerbaijani CSOs can also participate in the reconstruction works carried out in our territories freed from occupation. But unfortunately, the existing legislation does not allow the normal activity of Civil Society Organisations."

Later, Platform member Sabina Alakbarova, Swiss Cooperation Office national program head in Azerbaijan Zahir Ahmadov voiced their opinions on the discussed topic.