OREANDA-NEWS. October 2, 2008. The Azerbaijani government does not intend to reduce the pace in realization of the National Action Plan within European Neighborhood Policy (ENP).

Deputy foreign minister Makhmud Mammadguliyev of Azerbaijan said that the process of preparing for the second year of ENP to cover 2008 has been launched.

“The primary document can appear already in October and then we could submit it to the European Commission to prepare, in its turn, its own report on country’s progress,” Mammadguliyev said.

Azerbaijan had a range of claims on the first national report on ENP made by the European Commission that agreed to take all the Azerbaijan’s comments when making its annual reports on ENP Action Plan progress achieved by Azerbaijan.

The document to cover the conclusion on the report was drawn up by involved ministries and departments.

On April 4 the European Commission representative to Azerbaijan Adam Vaddams presented a report in Baku that contained entirely positive estimates of country’s progress within the five-year Action Plan.

According to the report, progress was especially observed in economic sector. Development was also observed in customs and tax systems and corporate legislation system. Not large progress was registered as well in the area of democratic reforms, but it was focused on a necessity to centralize municipalities.

The report says that no amendments were made in elections legislation. In December 2006 the National Action Plan on Human Rights Protection was adopted and currently demands realization. Last year there were taken measures to clarify administrative and legal status of ombudsman. His administrative status was improved last July but additional efforts are needed to improve legitimacy and independence. Some progress is observed with penitentiary system reforms. Legislation on freedom of meetings, freedom of opinions, word and information means is restricted. Governmental bodies did not settle the problem of lack of legislative and institutional borders relating to protection of national minorities.

Azerbaijan has reached high results in the system of freedom of religions and gender. Reforms are conducted in court system but despite that the process of development is ongoing weakly because of lack of qualified staff.

According to the report, corruption is quite developed in Azerbaijan. Last June National Strategy on Anti-Corruption & Transparency Development was adopted and it is very important document for Azerbaijan.

Besides, the country was observed progress in the system of foreign cooperation, freedom of justices, security, nuclear law, terrorism fighting, drugs and human traffic, false money.

At the same time Azerbaijan did not take measures to join Rome status of International Court for Crimes and the Ottawa Convention.