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BAKU: Azeri pundits split on prospects for European integration

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  • BAKU: Azeri pundits split on prospects for European integration

    Turan news agency, Azerbaijan
    Feb 28 2014

    Azeri pundits split on prospects for European integration


    Baku, 28 February: There is no alternative to European integration for
    Azerbaijan. This was the leitmotif of the debates the National Council
    of Democratic Forces organized in the media centre on Friday [28
    February].

    Members of opposition parties, experts and civil society activists
    attended the discussion. Developments in Ukraine make topical public
    debates on signing with the EU an association agreement, which
    Azerbaijan refrains from.

    Association agreement with EU

    "Soon Georgia and Moldova will sign an association agreement with the
    EU, while the rejection of this agreement by the former Ukrainian
    government caused a revolution in Ukraine. Hence, Azerbaijan too must
    sign an association agreement," Gultakin Hacibayli, member of the
    National Council of Democratic Forces, said.

    The debaters criticized the Azerbaijani government for delaying
    membership of the World Trade Organization. This happens because
    bringing the customs system in line with international standards and
    liberalizing the domestic [market] does not suit interests of state
    officials.

    "Azerbaijan wishes to sign a strategic partnership agreement. But an
    associative agreement is in line with national interests. It envisages
    full integration of Azerbaijan into Europe," expert Leyla Aliyeva
    said.

    Energy and democracy

    During the debates it was pointed out that over the past 20 years
    Azerbaijan has moved further from European values towards
    authoritarianism. The EU in its relations with Azerbaijan relied more
    on energy resources, rather than on democratic values. The EU also
    displayed double standards when admitting Cyprus and rejecting
    Turkey's membership bid. Armenia has practically become a part of
    Russia, but the EU still does not change its treatment of this
    country. Influence of the EU on settling conflicts in Georgia and
    Azerbaijan is not felt. Therefore, Azerbaijani voters doubt that EU
    membership will facilitate a fair solution to the Karabakh conflict,
    head of the REAL movement's board, Erkin Qadirli, said.

    "The money of the corrupted regime and bribe-taking state officials
    are not kept in Russian banks, but in those of Europe and the USA.
    Then they channel these funds to Azerbaijan in the form of foreign
    investments," lawyer Aslan Ismayilov said.

    Regional integration

    During discussions it was said that the European integration process
    will only expand. Soon the interests of the European Union and the
    Azerbaijani authorities may clash and this can happen as early as in
    the 2015 parliamentary election. The Azerbaijani regime may face the
    pressure that was put on [Ukrainian President] Yanukovych. The events
    of 2008 in Georgia also showed this. The EU and NATO show no interest
    in integrating states individually. Therefore, integration must be
    conducted on the regional level. The South Caucasus countries may
    integrate between themselves, further within the post-Soviet state and
    later within the framework of the European Union. European integration
    is necessary and geographic borders of Europe are turning into
    political borders.

    Azerbaijan falls short of European standards

    The head of the National Council of Democratic Forces, Camil Hasanli,
    believes that Azerbaijan is moving away from European integration.
    There can be no talk of European standards in a country where 600,000
    families, or 2m people, receive targeted social welfare and half of
    the population has left [the country] to earn money. According to
    Hasanli, [Azerbaijani President] Ilham Aliyev explains the rejection
    of WTO membership by caring about the domestic market. However, in
    reality the authorities pursue their own monopolist interests. The
    course of the incumbent Azerbaijani regime runs counter to interests
    of the people and European values, Hasanli said. He also reproached
    European countries for weak support for democracy in Azerbaijan. The
    EU and OSCE countries should not have recognized the [2013]
    presidential election outcome, he said.

    [Translated from Russian]

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