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Head of EU Delegation to Azerbaijan summoned to Foreign Ministry

Politics Materials 11 September 2015 14:53 (UTC +04:00)
Head of the EU Delegation to Azerbaijan Malena Mard was summoned to Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry Sept.11, over the resolution recently adopted by the European Parliament on the country
Head of EU Delegation to Azerbaijan summoned to Foreign Ministry

Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept.11
Trend:

Head of the EU Delegation to Azerbaijan Malena Mard was summoned to Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry Sept.11, over the resolution recently adopted by the European Parliament on the country, the Foreign Ministry said.

Azerbaijan's Deputy Foreign Minister Mahmud Mammadguliyev informed Mard about the country's position on this document.

"Azerbaijan strongly condemns the resolution adopted by the European Parliament," he said.
Noting that this document is biased and destructive, Mammadguliyev said that it is a blow on Azerbaijani-EU relations.

This resolution also creates serious obstacles to the prospects for cooperation, according to the deputy foreign minister.

Mammadguliyev noted that hasty adoption of the resolution during the plenary meeting, without appropriate discussions in relevant committees as it was noted by some European Parliament members as well, was accompanied by a number of procedural shortcomings.

The resolution is full of distorted information about the human rights situation in Azerbaijan, he added.

"Separate criminal cases are deliberately politicized in the document and groundless claims are made as a counterbalance to their real essence," Mammadguliyev said.

Furthermore, the deputy foreign minister said that the constant biased attitude of the European Parliament to Azerbaijan shows that the human rights issue is used as a tool of political pressure on the country.

"But the European Parliament members should know that these attempts are doomed to be unsuccessful from the very beginning," he said. "Moreover, the offensive form of expression in certain paragraphs of the resolution goes beyond ethical norms."

"The absurd and nefarious slander against the country is inadmissible and it seriously undermines the credibility of this organization," said Mammadguliyev. "Meanwhile, the groundless calls for sanctions and visa restrictions can't be accepted in any case."

This undoubtedly proves that adoption of such a document is in the interest of certain forces, the only aim of which is to undermine Azerbaijan's growing international influence, according to the deputy foreign minister.

"Meanwhile, the expression "Nagorno-Karabakh" used in the resolution is contradictory to the international law and therefore, it is unacceptable," he said.

"While the European continent has faced many serious threats requiring immediate solution, it is surprising that the European Parliament has been paying attention to human rights issue in Azerbaijan for a long time," Mammadguliyev added.

It was brought to Mard's attention that it would be more reasonable if the European Parliament paid needed attention to the UN's mechanisms on protection of human rights and if the Council of Europe, PACE and other international organizations paid attention to the use of excessive force, ill-treatment by law enforcement officials, intolerance and Islamophobia, corruption, migration and other problems in the EU member states.

"It is regrettable that the European Commission didn't take serious measures to prevent the voting in the European Parliament on the resolution which is the object of condemnation," he said. "On the contrary, the remarks earlier made by the high-ranking officials of the European Parliament had a negative impact on this process."

Malena Mard for her part said she will convey Azerbaijan's position to the EU structures.

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