Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept. 30
By Elchin Mehdiyev – Trend:
Azerbaijan’s Parliament has decided to restore relations with the European Parliament.
The decision was made after the issue on restoration of ties with the European Parliament was put up for discussion at the first meeting of Azerbaijani Parliament’s autumn session.
The Parliament’s decision reads that the biased and unfair resolution regarding the country adopted by the European Parliament September 10, 2015 has seriously damaged the development of its relations with Azerbaijan.
“On Sept. 14, 2015, the Azerbaijani Parliament adopted a relevant decision in response to this biased political act that is aimed at undermining Azerbaijan’s cooperation with the EU and its member states and damaging the country’s international reputation,” the document said.
“According to that decision, the Azerbaijani Parliament started the procedure of termination of its membership in the Euronest Parliamentary Assembly,” reads the statement. “It was decided that during the procedure, Azerbaijani Parliament’s delegation will not join events of the Euronest Parliamentary Assembly.”
“The Azerbaijani Parliament’s participation in activities of the EU-Azerbaijan Parliamentary Cooperation Committee in the current format was suspended,” said the document.
The decision reads that in April 2016 the leadership of the European Parliament sent a delegation of the Euronest Parliamentary Assembly to Azerbaijan to resume the dialogue between the Azerbaijani Parliament and the European Parliament.
According to the document, on Sept. 19-21, 2016, a delegation of 15 people from the European Parliament visited Azerbaijan to discuss the issue of repairing relations.
In the statement adopted following the visit, the delegation of the European Parliament expressed regret at the more-than-a-year’s absence of dialogue between the European Parliament and Azerbaijan’s Parliament, and noted that the necessary measures will be taken to prevent a situation that can lead to rupture of relations in the future.
In order to restore bilateral relations with the European Parliament, the Azerbaijani Parliament annulled the articles 10 and 11 of the decision dated Sept. 14, 2015.