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What lies behind Europe's murky oil deals with Azerbaijan?
11:45 * 26.08.14
Republished from New Internationalist (blog)
Author: Molly Scott Cato
Beyond hosting the Eurovision song contest or Formula One, few of us
in Britain, I suspect, know much about Azerbaijan. In fact, you may
find yourself asking whether it really qualifies as a European country
at all. Why then, is British prime minister David Cameron so friendly
with Azerbaijani President Ilhan Aliyev? And why did government Energy
Minister Michael Fallon visit the country just last month?
When you learn that Azerbaijan's capital city, Baku, is almost
floating on natural gas, and that oil giant BP has strong interests in
the country, things become a little clearer.
But it's not just Conservative party ministers doing the bidding.
Former Labour prime minister and part-time Middle East peace envoy
Tony Blair is also in on the act. He is understood to be advising a
powerful consortium of energy interests and helping to secure a highly
controversial oil pipeline from the former Soviet republic.
With its massive oil and gas reserves, the regime in Baku is hoping to
attract the sorts of capital flows that swirl through the Middle East,
and is explicitly positioning itself as the new Dubai. Unfortunately,
it is also using the regimes of that region as the model for its
approach to human rights. Those who criticize the government or try to
build bridges with people in neighbouring countries are liable to be
branded traitors and subjected to arbitrary detention.
The problems in Azerbaijan came to my attention in my role as Member
of the European Parliament (MEP). I received an email from a
constituent who told me about her friend Leyla Yunus, whom she first
met about 15 years ago at a conference of women peacemakers. Leyla
made a strong impression, demonstrating her love for her country and
her strong desire to help it be at peace with its neighbours.
"Leyla, like many other human rights activists in Azerbaijan, has
suffered endless harassment, and she and her husband Arif were obliged
to get their daughter, their only child, Dinara, to safety in the
Netherlands, because of the threats against her life. Over the years I
have done what I could to support them," recalled my constituent after
meeting Layla in Baku.
Azerbaijan is keen to develop its economic relationship with the
European Union (EU) and perhaps even become a member one day. The EU
has a stake in the success of the country's fledgling democracy, since
it funds civil-society organizations in the country to the tune of
more than $27.9 million given to more than 74 projects since 2007. The
repression of civil-society groups has therefore been met with concern
at the highest levels of EU institutions.
When European Commission President José Barroso visited Azerbaijan's
capital city in June, he stressed the importance of a multi-party
democracy, an open society and an open economy as the best way to
achieve stability and prosperity. According to Catherine Ashton, the
EU's High Representative for Foreign Affairs, he also stressed that a
thriving civil society constitutes an essential component of a healthy
society.
Dunja Mijatovic, the Representative on Freedom of the Media for the
Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), has gone
even further. Sharing her 'alarm' at the criminal charges against NGOs
supporting media freedom in Azerbaijan, she said: "These actions
appear to be part of a campaign of targeted suppression of free
expression and free media [...] media NGOs provide essential support to
journalists and the whole media industry. Any actions to intimidate
them and interfere with their activities go against OSCE commitments
and create a chilling effect on those who champion freedom of the
media."
So what can we do? Perhaps most importantly we should not collude in
Azerbaijan's portrayal of itself as just another exotic tourist
destination. If ethical tourism means anything, then it means not
supporting countries whose governments deny their citizens' basic
rights. Formula One fans can write to the sport's governing body to
demand that they cancel the race scheduled for Baku in 2016.
And you could also contact your MEP and MP, letting them know your
concerns about the way Leyla Yunus and other activists are being
treated.
It is hard for those of us who live in Britain to understand what life
is like in a country where your basic rights are routinely abused by
an oppressive and undemocratic government. Just as Aung San Suu Kyi
has represented the struggle against this sort of oppression in Burma,
so Leyla Yunus is its figurehead in Azerbaijan. Her greatest
protection lies in her story being known and shared.
http://www.tert.am/en/news/2014/08/26/azerbaijan-beyond-ni/
http://newint.org/blog/2014/08/22/europe-azerbaijan/
From: A. Papazian
11:45 * 26.08.14
Republished from New Internationalist (blog)
Author: Molly Scott Cato
Beyond hosting the Eurovision song contest or Formula One, few of us
in Britain, I suspect, know much about Azerbaijan. In fact, you may
find yourself asking whether it really qualifies as a European country
at all. Why then, is British prime minister David Cameron so friendly
with Azerbaijani President Ilhan Aliyev? And why did government Energy
Minister Michael Fallon visit the country just last month?
When you learn that Azerbaijan's capital city, Baku, is almost
floating on natural gas, and that oil giant BP has strong interests in
the country, things become a little clearer.
But it's not just Conservative party ministers doing the bidding.
Former Labour prime minister and part-time Middle East peace envoy
Tony Blair is also in on the act. He is understood to be advising a
powerful consortium of energy interests and helping to secure a highly
controversial oil pipeline from the former Soviet republic.
With its massive oil and gas reserves, the regime in Baku is hoping to
attract the sorts of capital flows that swirl through the Middle East,
and is explicitly positioning itself as the new Dubai. Unfortunately,
it is also using the regimes of that region as the model for its
approach to human rights. Those who criticize the government or try to
build bridges with people in neighbouring countries are liable to be
branded traitors and subjected to arbitrary detention.
The problems in Azerbaijan came to my attention in my role as Member
of the European Parliament (MEP). I received an email from a
constituent who told me about her friend Leyla Yunus, whom she first
met about 15 years ago at a conference of women peacemakers. Leyla
made a strong impression, demonstrating her love for her country and
her strong desire to help it be at peace with its neighbours.
"Leyla, like many other human rights activists in Azerbaijan, has
suffered endless harassment, and she and her husband Arif were obliged
to get their daughter, their only child, Dinara, to safety in the
Netherlands, because of the threats against her life. Over the years I
have done what I could to support them," recalled my constituent after
meeting Layla in Baku.
Azerbaijan is keen to develop its economic relationship with the
European Union (EU) and perhaps even become a member one day. The EU
has a stake in the success of the country's fledgling democracy, since
it funds civil-society organizations in the country to the tune of
more than $27.9 million given to more than 74 projects since 2007. The
repression of civil-society groups has therefore been met with concern
at the highest levels of EU institutions.
When European Commission President José Barroso visited Azerbaijan's
capital city in June, he stressed the importance of a multi-party
democracy, an open society and an open economy as the best way to
achieve stability and prosperity. According to Catherine Ashton, the
EU's High Representative for Foreign Affairs, he also stressed that a
thriving civil society constitutes an essential component of a healthy
society.
Dunja Mijatovic, the Representative on Freedom of the Media for the
Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), has gone
even further. Sharing her 'alarm' at the criminal charges against NGOs
supporting media freedom in Azerbaijan, she said: "These actions
appear to be part of a campaign of targeted suppression of free
expression and free media [...] media NGOs provide essential support to
journalists and the whole media industry. Any actions to intimidate
them and interfere with their activities go against OSCE commitments
and create a chilling effect on those who champion freedom of the
media."
So what can we do? Perhaps most importantly we should not collude in
Azerbaijan's portrayal of itself as just another exotic tourist
destination. If ethical tourism means anything, then it means not
supporting countries whose governments deny their citizens' basic
rights. Formula One fans can write to the sport's governing body to
demand that they cancel the race scheduled for Baku in 2016.
And you could also contact your MEP and MP, letting them know your
concerns about the way Leyla Yunus and other activists are being
treated.
It is hard for those of us who live in Britain to understand what life
is like in a country where your basic rights are routinely abused by
an oppressive and undemocratic government. Just as Aung San Suu Kyi
has represented the struggle against this sort of oppression in Burma,
so Leyla Yunus is its figurehead in Azerbaijan. Her greatest
protection lies in her story being known and shared.
http://www.tert.am/en/news/2014/08/26/azerbaijan-beyond-ni/
http://newint.org/blog/2014/08/22/europe-azerbaijan/
From: A. Papazian