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EU CRITICIZES AZERBAIJAN IN ANNUAL 'NEIGHBORHOOD' REPORT
Wednesday, March 25th, 2015
http://asbarez.com/133314/eu-criticizes-azerbaijan-in-annual-%E2%80%98neighborhood%E2%80%99-report/
European Union flags fly outside of the European Commission building
in Brussels
BRUSSELS--The European Commission has approved its 2014 European
Neighborhood reports, highlighting progress and shortcomings made last
year in the countries to the east and south of the European Union --
several of them on Russia's fringes.
The report, issued on March 25, includes assessments of Armenia,
Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine.
Belarus, which is also a member of the EU's European Neighborhood
group, is not included in the report because Minsk and Brussels have
not yet agreed to a European Neighborhood Policy Action Plan.
Armenia Armenia backed out of signing a landmark agreement with
the EU in 2013 and has since joined the Russian-dominated Eurasian
Economic Union.
But the report says that negotiations soon will be launched on "a
new EU-Armenia overarching agreement once the respective negotiating
mandates have been approved."
The EU says Armenia continued its democratic transition in 2014,
but adds that "certain human rights issues, fundamental freedoms,
and rule of law issues remained to be dealt with."
The document says "the lack of trust in the judicial system persisted"
and that "the fight against corruption remained a key issue."
The EU also recommends more diversification in the country's economy.
Azerbaijan The EU sharply criticized Azerbaijan's government for the
political situation in the country.
The paper says there was a "regression in the democratic transition
process and with regard to human rights and fundamental freedoms,
e.g., the freedom of religion or belief, freedom of expression,
and freedom of assembly."
It says the situation of civil society organizations deteriorated
considerably due to the introduction of a more restrictive legal
framework and that "a number of prominent human right defenders were
detained, travel bans were issued, and bank accounts of civil society
organizations were frozen."
The EU urges Baku to improve the situation regarding democracy and
human rights in the country and to create a more conducive political
and legal environment for civil society.
The document notes that the security situation in Azerbaijan's
breakaway Nagorno-Karabakh territory "remained a matter of serious
concern amid unprecedented incidents and casualties since 1994,
as well as rise in confrontational rhetoric and a continued arms race."
Georgia The EU says Georgia continued its democratic transition.
According to the report, last year's local elections were "generally
in compliance with international standards, even though freedom of
association and assembly were not fully ensured during the campaign."
The text also says judicial independence remains fragile and that
"the rights of minorities remained to be improved further" despite
the adoption of an antidiscrimination law.
It also criticizes the treaties that Russia has signed with the
breakaway regions Abkhazia and South Ossetia, noting that it violates
Georgia's territorial integrity.
The EU says it hopes that Tbilisi increases "the accountability and
democratic oversight of law enforcement agencies" and encourages trade,
education, travel, and investment across the administrative boundary
line with Abkhazia and South Ossetia.
Wednesday, March 25th, 2015
http://asbarez.com/133314/eu-criticizes-azerbaijan-in-annual-%E2%80%98neighborhood%E2%80%99-report/
European Union flags fly outside of the European Commission building
in Brussels
BRUSSELS--The European Commission has approved its 2014 European
Neighborhood reports, highlighting progress and shortcomings made last
year in the countries to the east and south of the European Union --
several of them on Russia's fringes.
The report, issued on March 25, includes assessments of Armenia,
Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine.
Belarus, which is also a member of the EU's European Neighborhood
group, is not included in the report because Minsk and Brussels have
not yet agreed to a European Neighborhood Policy Action Plan.
Armenia Armenia backed out of signing a landmark agreement with
the EU in 2013 and has since joined the Russian-dominated Eurasian
Economic Union.
But the report says that negotiations soon will be launched on "a
new EU-Armenia overarching agreement once the respective negotiating
mandates have been approved."
The EU says Armenia continued its democratic transition in 2014,
but adds that "certain human rights issues, fundamental freedoms,
and rule of law issues remained to be dealt with."
The document says "the lack of trust in the judicial system persisted"
and that "the fight against corruption remained a key issue."
The EU also recommends more diversification in the country's economy.
Azerbaijan The EU sharply criticized Azerbaijan's government for the
political situation in the country.
The paper says there was a "regression in the democratic transition
process and with regard to human rights and fundamental freedoms,
e.g., the freedom of religion or belief, freedom of expression,
and freedom of assembly."
It says the situation of civil society organizations deteriorated
considerably due to the introduction of a more restrictive legal
framework and that "a number of prominent human right defenders were
detained, travel bans were issued, and bank accounts of civil society
organizations were frozen."
The EU urges Baku to improve the situation regarding democracy and
human rights in the country and to create a more conducive political
and legal environment for civil society.
The document notes that the security situation in Azerbaijan's
breakaway Nagorno-Karabakh territory "remained a matter of serious
concern amid unprecedented incidents and casualties since 1994,
as well as rise in confrontational rhetoric and a continued arms race."
Georgia The EU says Georgia continued its democratic transition.
According to the report, last year's local elections were "generally
in compliance with international standards, even though freedom of
association and assembly were not fully ensured during the campaign."
The text also says judicial independence remains fragile and that
"the rights of minorities remained to be improved further" despite
the adoption of an antidiscrimination law.
It also criticizes the treaties that Russia has signed with the
breakaway regions Abkhazia and South Ossetia, noting that it violates
Georgia's territorial integrity.
The EU says it hopes that Tbilisi increases "the accountability and
democratic oversight of law enforcement agencies" and encourages trade,
education, travel, and investment across the administrative boundary
line with Abkhazia and South Ossetia.