Tweet
EUROPE'S CAVIAR DIPLOMACY WITH AZERBAIJAN MUST END: EU OBSERVER
14:11, 27 November, 2012
YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 27, ARMENPRESS. The recent revelation that Azerbaijan
has pursued a policy of bestowing gifts of caviar on parliamentarians
and officials at the Council of Europe comes as no surprise to those
who follow the interactions of the Council of Europe's Parliamentary
Assembly (Pace) with the Caspian petro-state.
As reports "Armenpress" citing EU Observer website, last week the EU
officials, who conducted dialogues regarding the protection of human
rights in Azerbaijan, confessed that "Azerbaijani caviar" has also
been on the menu in Brussels.
The website states: "Whilst there has been no concrete evidence of
bribe-taking linked to policy outcomes, Azerbaijan's relations with
parts of the European Parliament are cosy. The largest political
grouping in the parliament, the European People's Party, held a
conference on February attended by Azerbaijan's Foreign Minister
during which some of its leading members extolled ""the virtues of
Azerbaijan's political reforms" and the fact it "has made clear its
intention of building democracy."
In comparison to other neighbours, the EU appears to practice a form
of exceptionalism towards Azerbaijan. Catherine Ashton, the EU's first
High Representative for Foreign Affairs, recently has released two
widely contrasting statements on Belarus and Azerbaijan within days
of each other. According to EUobserver though both feature side by
side in various democracy indices and ongoing repression in the two
countries is in many ways comparable, Belarus comes in for censure
while Azerbaijan receives fulsome praise. Ashton's congratulatory
statement on Azerbaijan confirms the argument that the EU is taking a
different posture towards its neighbours depending on whether or not
they have energy to sell or not. The official welcomed the release
of nine political prisoners under amnesty, but neglected to mention
that a further 60 remain behind bars.
Among other issues the aforesaid website states: "The Arab spring
demonstrated that when it comes to EU foreign policy towards its
neighbours, values and interests are deeply intertwined."
EUobserver states also that following May's Eurovision song contest,
pressure on activists has intensified. Senior government officials
have targeted democracy activists and independent media calling for
a campaign of public hatred against them. Also the website refers to
the arrests of the journalists, buying Olympic medals by petrodollars,
and organization of a number of events of international importance
thanks to the aforesaid petrodollars.
Summing up EUobserver states: "For the Council of Europe, the
continent's premier rights institution, it means putting an end to
the caviar-fuelled farce and showing Azerbaijan the door."
http://armenpress.am/eng/news/700708/europes-caviar-diplomacy-with-azerbaijan-must-end-eu-observer.html
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
14:11, 27 November, 2012
YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 27, ARMENPRESS. The recent revelation that Azerbaijan
has pursued a policy of bestowing gifts of caviar on parliamentarians
and officials at the Council of Europe comes as no surprise to those
who follow the interactions of the Council of Europe's Parliamentary
Assembly (Pace) with the Caspian petro-state.
As reports "Armenpress" citing EU Observer website, last week the EU
officials, who conducted dialogues regarding the protection of human
rights in Azerbaijan, confessed that "Azerbaijani caviar" has also
been on the menu in Brussels.
The website states: "Whilst there has been no concrete evidence of
bribe-taking linked to policy outcomes, Azerbaijan's relations with
parts of the European Parliament are cosy. The largest political
grouping in the parliament, the European People's Party, held a
conference on February attended by Azerbaijan's Foreign Minister
during which some of its leading members extolled ""the virtues of
Azerbaijan's political reforms" and the fact it "has made clear its
intention of building democracy."
In comparison to other neighbours, the EU appears to practice a form
of exceptionalism towards Azerbaijan. Catherine Ashton, the EU's first
High Representative for Foreign Affairs, recently has released two
widely contrasting statements on Belarus and Azerbaijan within days
of each other. According to EUobserver though both feature side by
side in various democracy indices and ongoing repression in the two
countries is in many ways comparable, Belarus comes in for censure
while Azerbaijan receives fulsome praise. Ashton's congratulatory
statement on Azerbaijan confirms the argument that the EU is taking a
different posture towards its neighbours depending on whether or not
they have energy to sell or not. The official welcomed the release
of nine political prisoners under amnesty, but neglected to mention
that a further 60 remain behind bars.
Among other issues the aforesaid website states: "The Arab spring
demonstrated that when it comes to EU foreign policy towards its
neighbours, values and interests are deeply intertwined."
EUobserver states also that following May's Eurovision song contest,
pressure on activists has intensified. Senior government officials
have targeted democracy activists and independent media calling for
a campaign of public hatred against them. Also the website refers to
the arrests of the journalists, buying Olympic medals by petrodollars,
and organization of a number of events of international importance
thanks to the aforesaid petrodollars.
Summing up EUobserver states: "For the Council of Europe, the
continent's premier rights institution, it means putting an end to
the caviar-fuelled farce and showing Azerbaijan the door."
http://armenpress.am/eng/news/700708/europes-caviar-diplomacy-with-azerbaijan-must-end-eu-observer.html
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress