Baku, Azerbaijan, Oct. 23
By Saba Aghayeva - Trend:
Azerbaijan attaches great importance to the chairmanship in the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe (CE), Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov said at a briefing Oct. 23.
He was responding to the question about the human rights situation in the country.
Mammadyarov said that Azerbaijan will continue its activity in the development of democracy.
"However, we often face with double standards in this issue," he said. "The certain forces are responsible for this and we know about it."
"Azerbaijan will not swerve from the path of democracy," Mammadyarov said.
The joint working group consisting of representatives of civil society and authorities of Azerbaijan has recently resumed its activities in the country.
Head of the Department on Work with Law-Enforcement Bodies of Azerbaijan's Presidential Administration, Fuad Alasgarov and MP Samad Seyidov have been elected the co-chairs of the joint group.
Saadat Benenyarli and Sahib Mammadov have been elected members of the secretariat.
The name of the group has been changed to the Joint Group on Human Rights.
The group resumed its activity at the initiative of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Secretary General of the Council of Europe Thorbjørn Jagland.
Earlier, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev signed a decree on pardon of 84 people. Three former members of the NIDA movement - Shahin Novruzlu, Elsever Mursalli and Bakhtiyar Guliyev, head of the NGO Hasan Guseynli are also among those pardoned.
Azerbaijan to continue democratic development activity - FM
Azerbaijan attaches great importance to the chairmanship in the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe (CE), Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov said at a briefing Oct. 23.
