The EU Foreign Affairs Council gave the green light for negotiations to start on 12 October. The new agreement will exclude a number of provisions of the current Partnership Agreement (PCA) that came into force in 1999.
Foreign Minister Mammadyarov said the issue of a meeting between the Presidents will be discussed during the visit of the Minsk Group co-Chair to the region next week.
Minister Eldar Mahmudov was dismissed on Saturday, and large scale anti-corruption investigation is under way. Some sources suggest there could be more to the matter.
Outgoing CIS Chairman, Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbyev said that "frankly speaking, we had a difficult time of presidency because of the economic situation".
Russia confirms settlement of Karabakh conflict remains a high foreign policy priority, but a breakthrough to the present impasse in the peace negotiations during the Astana meetings on Friday is unlikely.