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EU Calls On Azerbaijan To Respect Human Rights And To Fulfill Their

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  • EU Calls On Azerbaijan To Respect Human Rights And To Fulfill Their

    EU CALLS ON AZERBAIJAN TO RESPECT HUMAN RIGHTS AND TO FULFILL THEIR COMMITMENTS

    13:00 04/04/2013 Â" SOCIETY

    Azerbaijan should make efforts in holding democratic elections and
    ensuring the human rights, the annual report, which assesses the
    progress of Azerbaijan in the European Neighborhood Policy for 2012,
    states. As the Azerbaijani news agency "Turan" reports, Head of the
    EU Delegation to Azerbaijan Roland Kobia made a speech at a press
    conference in Baku today and said that the report displays the trends
    of partner countries on implementing commitments in the frameworks
    of the ENP for 2012.

    "We respect the independence and equal partnership, but there are
    obligations that must be fulfilled," Kobia said.

    "The EU will continue the cooperation with partners in the field of
    democratic changes. In some partner countries there are concerns on
    these issues and we will assist them in democracy," Kobia quoted the
    High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs & Security Policy
    Catherine Ashton.

    "The EU also attaches great importance to cooperation with civil
    society. In some countries the civil society, the free movement of NGO
    leaders meet obstacles, they are legally and administratively pursued,
    obstructed the financial assistance. All this is unacceptable,"
    Kobia quoted the EU Commissioner Å tefanFule.

    Then Kobia went directly to the report on Azerbaijan. Noting the
    positive macroeconomic indicators of Azerbaijan, he noted that the
    corruption and monopoly continue hindering economic diversification
    of the country.

    He noted that the pardoning of opposition members arrested in spring
    2011 became a positive step in Azerbaijan. Kobia stressed that
    Azerbaijan needs progress in ensuring human rights and fundamental
    freedom of the people, the electoral processes, ensuring the
    independence of the justice system.

    More progress is needed in the talks on conclusion of Association
    Agreement and next week after a long break in Brussels talks on this
    issue will be resumed. More progress is needed also in the fight
    against corruption, Kobia noted.

    As part of the recommendations of the EU called on Azerbaijan to comply
    the PACE resolution requirements on commitments in human rights area,
    adopted on January session at PACE. It is recommended to perform
    the National Action Plan in this field, to pass a law on defamation,
    improve the legislation on freedom of assembly, media, associations
    and ensure their use, to investigate the facts of violence against
    journalists and activists, to increase the independence of the justice
    system, to ensure transparency and accountability in public expenditure
    and the state budget in particular.

    In regard to the Karabakh conflict is recommended to comply the
    obligations in the framework of "Madrid principles", to ensure free
    access of the EU representatives, including the Special Representative
    for the South Caucasus to Nagorno-Karabakh, to take measures in
    promoting the peaceful settlement atmosphere.

    When asked about the possibility of EU joining the OSCE Minsk Group,
    Kobia said that it was not discussed and formally they had not received
    such proposals.

    To the question of what would happen if Baku once again ignores the
    EU recommendations, Kobia said that these are only guidelines and
    the EU cannot impose them to independent states. EU proposals are
    only recommendations, and have no coercive nature, he said.

    Referring to the upcoming presidential elections in Azerbaijan,
    Kobia noted that the EU is for the transparency and fairness of the
    elections, and considers compliance of previous recommendations of
    the ODIHR important.

    Kobia refrained to comment on the arrests of activists of NIDA movement
    in Azerbaijan referring to the fact of lacking of detailed information,
    as he had just returned to Baku. However, the diplomat noted that,
    in all cases, the EU calls for fair investigations in accordance with
    international standards. The EU representatives monitor situation with
    youth arrests, and clearly express their position, the diplomat said.

    Kobia brought the example of the arrest of Ilgar Mamedov, the head
    of the movement REAL, reminding the statements of the high-ranking
    representatives of the EU. He also expressed regret for the fact that
    Mammedov's arrest continued for another 2 months.

    Source: Panorama.am



    From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
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