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A REMINDER TO EU COMMISSION PRESIDENT J.M. BARROSO, ON THE OCCASION O AZERBAIJANI PRESIDENT'S VISIT TO BRUSSELS
http://www.eafjd.eu/a-reminder-to-eu-commission-president-j-m-barroso.html
Brussels, June 24, 2013.- On the 21st of June 2013, EU Commission
President Mr. Jose Manuel Barroso, after his meeting in Brussels
with the President of Azerbaijan, Mr. Ilham Aliyev, made a statement
for the mass media. In this statement there are some points that
we have to point out, since once again, EU Commission President,
has undermined his basic responsibility to promote and defend Human
Rights and the Rule of Law - core values of the European Union.
President Barroso's text of 818 words, there are less than 50 vague
words referring to Human Rights, but not a single word calling on
President Aliyev to stop the repression and cruel violations of
Human Rights, Rule of Law and plurality in an autocratic and feudal
Azerbaijan.
Having in mind only the energy and the gas supply corridors of
Azerbaijan, Mr. Barroso considers fruitful the exchanges of his
visit to Baku and Mr. Aliyev's in Brussels. How can such visits be
fruitful, for an appointed official at the highest rank of the EU,
having as basic mandate the defence and promotion in all his capacity,
of Human Rights values, when every day, the situation in Azerbaijan is
deteriorating and whoever dares to have a different opinion than the
government is prosecuted and imprisoned? We would like to remind Mr.
Barroso, that the European Parliament, the only body elected directly
by the people, in the last two years, has voted several resolutions
condemning Azerbaijan for violating Human Rights, plurality, Rule
of Law and Democrativ values, calling the EU Council and of course
the Commission, to consider the possibility of targeted sanctions
against those responsible for the violations, should they persist
(paragraph 18, of the Motion for a resolution B7-0256/2012 of 22.5.201
on the situation in Azerbaijan). After two more resolutions against
Azerbaijan, the one just some days ago at the plenary of the European
Parliament, President Barroso still declares his "personal commitment
to supporting Azerbaijan" in improving its record of Human Rights.
The members of the cabinet of Barroso should have informed him,
that just one day earlier, the survey "Nations in Transit 2013"
of the Freedom House was published, where regarding Azerbaijan,
"the democracy gap between Azerbaijan and its Caucasus neighbors
continued to grow in 2012". In the same survey, Azerbaijan's score
is one of the worst between the 29 countries in transition together
with Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Belarus. It is really to wonder,
how the President of the EU Commission can feel a great pleasure
when he meets with the President of a country which is considered a
"Consolidated Authoritarian Regime" (Nations in Transit 2013).
Regarding the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, we state once again, that
Azerbaijan's negative role to any solution all those years, by the
bellicose statements and armed incidents provoked by the government
in Baku. It is difficult to imagine how the peace talks can lead
to a progress. We would like to remind Mr. Barroso once more, the
statement of the President of the European Armenian Federation for
Justice and Democracy (EAFJD), Mr. Kaspar Karampetian, commenting on
the resolution of the EU Parliament on 12th June, 2013: "We expect the
EU to uphold its principles in its dealing with Azerbaijan, as it is
demanded in this resolution by the Members of the European Parliament.
A democratic Azerbaijan is the only key to sustainable peace in the
South Caucasus".
###
http://www.eafjd.eu/a-reminder-to-eu-commission-president-j-m-barroso.html
Brussels, June 24, 2013.- On the 21st of June 2013, EU Commission
President Mr. Jose Manuel Barroso, after his meeting in Brussels
with the President of Azerbaijan, Mr. Ilham Aliyev, made a statement
for the mass media. In this statement there are some points that
we have to point out, since once again, EU Commission President,
has undermined his basic responsibility to promote and defend Human
Rights and the Rule of Law - core values of the European Union.
President Barroso's text of 818 words, there are less than 50 vague
words referring to Human Rights, but not a single word calling on
President Aliyev to stop the repression and cruel violations of
Human Rights, Rule of Law and plurality in an autocratic and feudal
Azerbaijan.
Having in mind only the energy and the gas supply corridors of
Azerbaijan, Mr. Barroso considers fruitful the exchanges of his
visit to Baku and Mr. Aliyev's in Brussels. How can such visits be
fruitful, for an appointed official at the highest rank of the EU,
having as basic mandate the defence and promotion in all his capacity,
of Human Rights values, when every day, the situation in Azerbaijan is
deteriorating and whoever dares to have a different opinion than the
government is prosecuted and imprisoned? We would like to remind Mr.
Barroso, that the European Parliament, the only body elected directly
by the people, in the last two years, has voted several resolutions
condemning Azerbaijan for violating Human Rights, plurality, Rule
of Law and Democrativ values, calling the EU Council and of course
the Commission, to consider the possibility of targeted sanctions
against those responsible for the violations, should they persist
(paragraph 18, of the Motion for a resolution B7-0256/2012 of 22.5.201
on the situation in Azerbaijan). After two more resolutions against
Azerbaijan, the one just some days ago at the plenary of the European
Parliament, President Barroso still declares his "personal commitment
to supporting Azerbaijan" in improving its record of Human Rights.
The members of the cabinet of Barroso should have informed him,
that just one day earlier, the survey "Nations in Transit 2013"
of the Freedom House was published, where regarding Azerbaijan,
"the democracy gap between Azerbaijan and its Caucasus neighbors
continued to grow in 2012". In the same survey, Azerbaijan's score
is one of the worst between the 29 countries in transition together
with Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Belarus. It is really to wonder,
how the President of the EU Commission can feel a great pleasure
when he meets with the President of a country which is considered a
"Consolidated Authoritarian Regime" (Nations in Transit 2013).
Regarding the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, we state once again, that
Azerbaijan's negative role to any solution all those years, by the
bellicose statements and armed incidents provoked by the government
in Baku. It is difficult to imagine how the peace talks can lead
to a progress. We would like to remind Mr. Barroso once more, the
statement of the President of the European Armenian Federation for
Justice and Democracy (EAFJD), Mr. Kaspar Karampetian, commenting on
the resolution of the EU Parliament on 12th June, 2013: "We expect the
EU to uphold its principles in its dealing with Azerbaijan, as it is
demanded in this resolution by the Members of the European Parliament.
A democratic Azerbaijan is the only key to sustainable peace in the
South Caucasus".
###