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On 19 November Vienna hosted talks between the presidents of Azerbaijan and Armenia focusing on the prospects for a settlement of the Nagornyy Karabakh conflict.

Azerbaijan as well as Armenia and four other former Soviet republics have another important event in store for them -- the Eastern Partnership summit due in Vilnius, which is aimed at fostering further rapprochement of these countries with the European Union. By the way, the EU is explicitly expressing its interest in becoming involved in the process of reconciliation between Baku and Yerevan. Lithuanian parliament member Juras Pozela has shared his views with R+ on the developments and prospects for cooperation between Azerbaijan and the EU.

-  The summit of the Eastern Partnership will be held in Lithuania, your home country, shortly. What are your expectations from that meeting?

-  First of all, I am very hopeful that Azerbaijan will be represented at the summit at the highest level. I think that the attendance of President Ilham Aliyev will play a great role in the deepening of the relations between Azerbaijan and the eastern region itself with the rest of the European Union.

- Azerbaijan considers European integration a priority direction in its foreign policy. What do you think about the future of the Azerbaijani-European relations?

-  I think that Azerbaijan has always been a part of Europe and will also belong to the European family in the future. You play a very important role in Europe and the region, being located at the crossroads of the East and West. This is also a major advantage for Azerbaijan.

We are in need of a very firm and reliable partner in the region, and Azerbaijan is perfectly fulfilling this role.

- Meanwhile, don't you think that the European Union, in turn, is not paying enough attention to our region, despite the Europeans absolutely have big interests here?

- It is very hard for me to criticise the EU's foreign policy. But I really think that we have to do a lot of so-called homework assignments in order to be more active and more noticeable in the South Caucasus region. The EU should realize that it does not end at the political borders of its member countries. We must have a presence and represent our values in other regions as well.

- Please, share your vision on Azerbaijan's development prospects.

- Azerbaijan has demonstrated extremely fast development throughout the last decade. Economic growth, reduction of poverty and unemployment -- all these are victories you must be very proud of. At a time some of the EU countries are facing a recession, your country shows that growth is possible. I think that many of us should learn from Azerbaijan how the problem is to be resolved.

Certainly, success is being achieved largely due to natural resources, but this is not enough without wise leadership and a strategic vision. There are many countries in the world which are very rich in natural resources, but have an extremely poor economy and a considerable gap between social groups. Azerbaijan is the best example for such countries.

- What do you think about the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagornyy Karabakh conflict and prospects for its settlement?

- On the one hand, the answer to this question is simple: Karabakh is an integral part of Azerbaijan. No other compromises are negotiable. We are talking about international law. On the other hand, I am witnessing the efforts of some countries aimed at denying this. This is unacceptable, and I expect Azerbaijani citizens to be able to return to their homes in the Karabakh region.

- Can the EU play any role in the settlement of this protracted conflict at Europe's eastern borders?  

- This issue has been unresolved for a long time. We have to ask ourselves the question as to how fruitful the current proposals are and why they are not working. What the EU can do to be active in seeking ways of putting an end to this story. People can't afford to wait this long.