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EUOBSERVER: THE COUNCIL OF EUROPE SHOULD SHOW AZERBAIJAN THE DOOR
arminfo
Tuesday, November 27, 13:45
In its article Euobserver touches on the policy conducted by Baku in
different European structures, in particular, Council of Europe and
European Union.
"The recent revelation that Azerbaijan has pursued a policy of
bestowing gifts of caviar on parliamentarians and officials at
the Council of Europe comes as no surprise to those who follow the
interactions of the Council of Europe's Parliamentary Assembly (Pace)
with the Caspian petro-state. Officials in the EU, which conducted
a human rights dialogue with Azerbaijan last week, admit privately
that caviar has also been on the menu in Brussels", - Euobserver says.
"In comparison to other neighbours, the EU appears to practice a form
of exceptionalism towards Azerbaijan.
Catherine Ashton, the EU's first High Representative for Foreign
Affairs, recently released two widely contrasting statements on
Belarus and Azerbaijan within days of each other.
Though both feature side by side in various democracy indices
and ongoing repression in the two countries is in many ways
comparable,Belarus comes in for censure while Azerbaijan receives
fulsome praise".
The Arab spring demonstrated that when it comes to EU foreign policy
towards its neighbours, values and interests are deeply intertwined,
rather than mutually exclusive.
Both in Brussels and Strasbourg a more vocal response to abuses and an
end to the indulgence of Azerbaijan's ever increasing authoritarianism
is needed.
For the EU this means putting its new "more for more" policy into
meaningful practice by spelling out that it expects Azerbaijan to
improve basic human rights and fight corruption in return for more
direct investment and closer economic ties with the 400-million-strong
consumer market.
The EU's human rights dialogue can play a role, by establishing
benchmarks against Azerbaijan's performance on core rights issues,
and by making them public - following the example of commissioner
Neelie Kroes' critical speech to the Internet Governance Forum in Baku.
For the Council of Europe, the continent's premier rights institution,
it means putting an end to the caviar-fuelled farce and showing
Azerbaijan the door.
arminfo
Tuesday, November 27, 13:45
In its article Euobserver touches on the policy conducted by Baku in
different European structures, in particular, Council of Europe and
European Union.
"The recent revelation that Azerbaijan has pursued a policy of
bestowing gifts of caviar on parliamentarians and officials at
the Council of Europe comes as no surprise to those who follow the
interactions of the Council of Europe's Parliamentary Assembly (Pace)
with the Caspian petro-state. Officials in the EU, which conducted
a human rights dialogue with Azerbaijan last week, admit privately
that caviar has also been on the menu in Brussels", - Euobserver says.
"In comparison to other neighbours, the EU appears to practice a form
of exceptionalism towards Azerbaijan.
Catherine Ashton, the EU's first High Representative for Foreign
Affairs, recently released two widely contrasting statements on
Belarus and Azerbaijan within days of each other.
Though both feature side by side in various democracy indices
and ongoing repression in the two countries is in many ways
comparable,Belarus comes in for censure while Azerbaijan receives
fulsome praise".
The Arab spring demonstrated that when it comes to EU foreign policy
towards its neighbours, values and interests are deeply intertwined,
rather than mutually exclusive.
Both in Brussels and Strasbourg a more vocal response to abuses and an
end to the indulgence of Azerbaijan's ever increasing authoritarianism
is needed.
For the EU this means putting its new "more for more" policy into
meaningful practice by spelling out that it expects Azerbaijan to
improve basic human rights and fight corruption in return for more
direct investment and closer economic ties with the 400-million-strong
consumer market.
The EU's human rights dialogue can play a role, by establishing
benchmarks against Azerbaijan's performance on core rights issues,
and by making them public - following the example of commissioner
Neelie Kroes' critical speech to the Internet Governance Forum in Baku.
For the Council of Europe, the continent's premier rights institution,
it means putting an end to the caviar-fuelled farce and showing
Azerbaijan the door.