Historical background to the document "From the talk of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Heydar Aliyev while receiving the delegation of the European Congress of Local and Regional Authorities" (December 10, 1999)


In 1994, the Council of Europe established the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities. The Congress functions in conformity with the Resolution Charter adopted by the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe. The Congress prepares regular reports on the condition of regional and local democracy in the member states and oversees implementation of the Charter of the European Local Self-administration.

The Congress of Local and Regional Authorities renders financial aid for the arrangement of annual forums of cities and regions and, for the establishment of interactive data base on cooperation with municipalities and regions.

Within CLRA, a European Network for Training Organizations (ENTO) functions for local and regional authorities. This network offers expert assistance and trainings for less developed Central and Eastern European countries in management experience and technical opportunities. ENTO provides cooperation among the training centers of local and regional authorities and assists in the establishment of contacts of national organizations with their foreign partners. (http://www.coe.az/)

Local self-administrative bodies established in Azerbaijan after the first municipality elections held in December 1999. It was a new stage of a part of the process of building of constitutional, democratic and secular state and development of a civil society in Azerbaijan. Improvement of the activity of municipalities demands the establishment of purposeful cooperation with the international organizations and local self-administrative bodies of foreign countries. Cooperating with European Congress of Local and Regional Authorities, Azerbaijan closely participates in a number of projects as well. (http://www.justice.gov.az/)

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Heydar Aliyev received the delegation of the European Local and Regional Authorities Congress on December 10, 1999, arrived to observe the municipality elections in Azerbaijan. During his talk with the head of the delegation Alan Lloyd, the Azerbaijani head of state appreciated the first municipality elections in Azerbaijan as an important step towards democracy and stressed the importance of close cooperation of Azerbaijan with the European organizations.

President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan received the chairman of the European Congress of Local and Regional Authorities Halwadan Scaard on June 27, 2006, in Baku. During the meting, a comprehensive exchange of views was held on different spheres of cooperation between the relevant bodies of Azerbaijan and European Congress of Local and Regional Authorities.

Historical background was compiled on January 17, 2008.