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AZERBAIJAN BOYCOTTS EURONEST FOLLOWING ITS ELECTION EVALUATION U-TURN
eTurboNews
Nov 5 2013
Nov 05, 2013
KIEV, Ukraine - During the bureau meeting of the Euronest Parliamentary
Assembly in Kiev, Ukraine, the head of Azerbaijan's delegation issued
a statement explaining why he is set to boycott the body following
its recent motion in which it criticised the Presidential election
in Azerbaijan.
Euronest PA last month passed the motion in defiance of its own
observer delegation, which had found the poll to be "free, fair and
transparent".
In his letter to Euronest, the Chairman of the Azerbaijani Delegation,
Elkhan Suleymanov, asked: "What's the actual position of the European
Parliament? Does it want to cooperate with Azerbaijan and create
peace and stability in South Caucasus? Does it recognise its reports
and delegation?"
He went on to condemn Article 32 - the motion criticising the election
- before announcing the withdrawal of Azerbaijan's Euronest delegation.
"Azerbaijan will stop its activity in this institution during the
Armenian chairmanship of the Euronest PA from EaP component until
the liberation of Azerbaijani territories from the occupation," he
said, a reference to Armenia's occupation of about 20 per cent of
Azerbaijani territory.
Suleymanov reminded his Euronest colleagues that observer missions of
the European Parliament, PACE and OSCE PA had all found the election
to be fair, with the ODIHR verdict the stand-out exception.
Yet Euronest chose to side with ODIHR in defiance of its own observer
team. This, he said previously, amounted to "political sabotage".
In a landslide result, incumbent Ilham Aliyev won the election of
October 9th, with exit polls by American pollsters Arthur J.
Finkelstein finding voters in no mood for change, given Azerbaijan's
booming economy and the President's high ratings on the issues of
security and Nagorno-Karabakh.
The territory and surrounding regions continue to be occupied by
Armenia despite resolutions in the United Nations, the European
Parliament, the OSCE and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council
of Europe.
European Parliament President Martin Schultz said recently: "Azerbaijan
and Armenia themselves should solve this complex issue."
This contradicts the remit of the Minsk group, which is committed to
a political solution to the occupation.
Given the lingering tensions surrounding the Armenian occupation of
Nagorno-Karabakh, Azerbaijan was angered that Armenia was allowed to
co-chair Euronest EaP. Now Suleymanov says his team will only resume
their seats when this "inflammatory chairmanship" comes to an end.
http://www.eturbonews.com/39454/azerbaijan-boycotts-euronest-following-its-election-evaluation-u
eTurboNews
Nov 5 2013
Nov 05, 2013
KIEV, Ukraine - During the bureau meeting of the Euronest Parliamentary
Assembly in Kiev, Ukraine, the head of Azerbaijan's delegation issued
a statement explaining why he is set to boycott the body following
its recent motion in which it criticised the Presidential election
in Azerbaijan.
Euronest PA last month passed the motion in defiance of its own
observer delegation, which had found the poll to be "free, fair and
transparent".
In his letter to Euronest, the Chairman of the Azerbaijani Delegation,
Elkhan Suleymanov, asked: "What's the actual position of the European
Parliament? Does it want to cooperate with Azerbaijan and create
peace and stability in South Caucasus? Does it recognise its reports
and delegation?"
He went on to condemn Article 32 - the motion criticising the election
- before announcing the withdrawal of Azerbaijan's Euronest delegation.
"Azerbaijan will stop its activity in this institution during the
Armenian chairmanship of the Euronest PA from EaP component until
the liberation of Azerbaijani territories from the occupation," he
said, a reference to Armenia's occupation of about 20 per cent of
Azerbaijani territory.
Suleymanov reminded his Euronest colleagues that observer missions of
the European Parliament, PACE and OSCE PA had all found the election
to be fair, with the ODIHR verdict the stand-out exception.
Yet Euronest chose to side with ODIHR in defiance of its own observer
team. This, he said previously, amounted to "political sabotage".
In a landslide result, incumbent Ilham Aliyev won the election of
October 9th, with exit polls by American pollsters Arthur J.
Finkelstein finding voters in no mood for change, given Azerbaijan's
booming economy and the President's high ratings on the issues of
security and Nagorno-Karabakh.
The territory and surrounding regions continue to be occupied by
Armenia despite resolutions in the United Nations, the European
Parliament, the OSCE and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council
of Europe.
European Parliament President Martin Schultz said recently: "Azerbaijan
and Armenia themselves should solve this complex issue."
This contradicts the remit of the Minsk group, which is committed to
a political solution to the occupation.
Given the lingering tensions surrounding the Armenian occupation of
Nagorno-Karabakh, Azerbaijan was angered that Armenia was allowed to
co-chair Euronest EaP. Now Suleymanov says his team will only resume
their seats when this "inflammatory chairmanship" comes to an end.
http://www.eturbonews.com/39454/azerbaijan-boycotts-euronest-following-its-election-evaluation-u