BAKU, Azerbaijan, January 29. The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) is inciting Armenia and endangering the security of the South Caucasus, said specialist in international politics and security Talya Iscan in her article in the leading Mexican publication El Universal, Trend reports.
According to her, in the backdrop of intricate global relations involving numerous conflicts, recent events within the PACE against the Azerbaijani delegation have raised concerns and sparked debate.
"These measures, seemingly affecting Azerbaijan's involvement in PACE, prompt questions about the fairness and justification of such restrictions. It is crucial to highlight the contradictory nature of these actions, as they accuse Azerbaijan of acts acknowledged by the international community as having been carried out by Armenia," Iscan said.
"This occurs within the framework of recent unwarranted Western actions against Azerbaijan, primarily spearheaded by France. Questions arise about the inconsistency of these actions, given that Azerbaijan is a longtime ally of the West in Afghanistan, the North, and Iraq and also plays an important role in Europe's energy security.," she added.
"The choice not to confirm the accreditation of the Azerbaijani delegation may be connected to France's recent aggressive stance against Azerbaijan. Such actions pose a threat to peace, as backing Armenia's unrealistic expectations and revanchist circles might jeopardize the peace process in the region. It appears that Armenia is not demonstrating enough sincerity in this process, as evidenced by all members of the Armenian delegation to PACE voting against Azerbaijan's accreditation," the specialist said.
"After 23 years of Azerbaijan's Council of Europe membership, amidst political stability and the restoration of affected territories, certain parties in PACE have initiated attacks against Azerbaijan. This prompts questions about the motives driving such actions," she added.
"Presently, the European Union has opted to align unconditionally with Armenia, displaying biased and hostile attitudes towards Azerbaijan without regard for justice. This contradicts the declared values of the European Union and has the potential to escalate political tensions in the region. Europe's policy of encouraging Armenia in the Caucasus and impeding peace processes runs counter to the principles professed by the European Union. This stance, supporting conflicts beyond its region for self-interest, gives the impression of double standards in diplomacy," Iscan said in the article.
The credentials of Azerbaijan's delegation to PACE were challenged on the opening day of the 2024 winter plenary session. Frank Schwabe, who heads the German delegation to PACE, proposed to deny the Azerbaijani delegation's credentials because Azerbaijan allegedly "organized the expulsion of Armenians from Karabakh." Thus, PACE was dissatisfied with the fact that they were "not invited" to observe the presidential elections to be held on February 7. Before that, in October 2023, the PACE adopted a one-sided and biased resolution regarding localized anti-terrorist measures undertaken by Azerbaijan in Karabakh.
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