...

OSCE head hails last amendments to law on NGO in Azerbaijan

Politics Materials 2 July 2009 16:33 (UTC +04:00)

Azerbaijan, Baku, July 2 / Trend , E.Ostapenko/

OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Dora Bakoyannis hails the last amendments of the Azerbaijani parliament to the law on non-governmental organizations, adopted in late June, the OSCE reported.

"A robust civil society, a free press and open political participation represent key commitments we share as OSCE states," Greek Foreign Minister Bakoyannis said. "In this regard I welcome the positive decision by Azerbaijan's Parliament at the end of June."

The amendments to the law on NGOs do not restrict, but facilitate, the activities of civil society, she said. "I am confident that we can deepen the constructive co-operation between the OSCE and Azerbaijan to further reforms," Bakoyannis said.

On June 30, the Azerbaijani parliament adopted the latest additions and changes, proposed to the law on non-governmental organizations which eliminated previous limitations.

The previous edition of the amendments included prohibiting NGOs' activities without state registration, refusing to register them due to "national security" and restricting foreign funding of civil society institutions.

Bakoyannis arrived in Baku on July 2 with one-day visit. During her visit Bakoyannis met Foreign Minister Mammadyarov, Bayram Safarov, the Representative of the Azerbaijani Community of Nagorno-Karabakh, and representatives of Azerbaijani political parties. She will meet President Ilham Aliyev and Oktay Asadov, the Speaker of Parliament, later today.

The OSCE Chairperson will travel to Yerevan this evening for talks with Armenian authorities and political parties on Friday.

Do you have any feedback? Contact our journalist at [email protected]

Latest

Latest