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HANS-JURGEN ZAHORKA: AZERBAIJAN IS MOST CORRUPT COUNTRY OF COUNCIL OF EUROPE
18:03 02/02/2015 >> INTERVIEWS
Panorama.am presents an interview with Mr. Hans-Jurgen Zahorka,
Chief Editor of European Union Foreign Affairs Journal (EUFAJ) and
a former Member of European Parliament. Mr. Zahorka shared his view
on the approach of Europe to Azerbaijan's deteriorating human rights
record, Azerbaijan's significance as an energy exporter to Europe,
the formation of the Nagorno Karabakh group in the EP, some aspects
of EU-Armenia future relations and other issues.
Commenting on the question of deteriorating human rights record in
Azerbaijan, which was once again raised in a wave of protests in
Germany during Aliyev's latest visit to Berlin, Mr. Zahorka said,
"Crackdown on human rights in Azerbaijan has been growing and getting
worse and worse recently. Azerbaijan has been chairing the Committee
of Ministers of the Council of Europe and within this term the worst
crackdowns have been committed against activists, journalists, NGOs
and other civil society representatives in Azerbaijan (take only the
recent closure of Radio Liberty, or the arrests of every possible
opposition figure). This first of all is happening because Azerbaijan
is governed by an authoritarian president, in an authoritarian system,
which tries to do everything to preserve its status and which does not
at all fit into the European culture of discussion we have otherwise."
At the same time he pointed to the fact that parallel to the crackdown
within the country there is also an opposition forming itself outside
of Azerbaijan, which the Azerbaijani censorship cannot prevent from
speaking out against the regime.
Commenting about the "caviar diplomacy" of Azerbaijan in the Council
of Europe and the European Parliament Mr. Zahorka said that such
method of bringing individual members of parliament on their side is
condemnable. "If you have to give a kilo of caviar for someone to vote
in favour of something then this is a sign of weakness", - he said,
adding that "Azerbaijan is today the most corrupt country among the
CoE member states, which is very clearly confirmed by several or all
of the opposition movements of that country."
Mr. Zahorka found himself in the black list of Azerbaijan after he
visited the Nagorno Karabakh Republic as an observer of presidential
elections in 2012. Even though not at all unhappy about being a
persona non grata in Azerbaijan, he deplored such policies and said
that his example is just one among many. He recalled for instance the
case of former PACE rapporteur on Political Prisoners in Azerbaijan
Mr. Strasser (now Commissioner for Human Rights for the German
Government) who was simply barred from entering Azerbaijan to do
his job. Unfortunately these incidents according to Mr. Zahorka also
demonstrate the weakness of the Council of Europe, "which has a lot
to catch up with possible sanctions to its member states if they step
aside from their commitments". Having said that he at the same time
noted that the CoE clearly condemned Azerbaijan for the breach of a
convention in the Ramil Safarov murder case after the prison "swap"
Hungary-Azerbaijan - this was an overdue but a clear response to
such practices.
In relation to sanctions as such Mr. Zahorka reminded that the CoE
has three ways to apply sanctions - it can cut the right to vote
(which was the case with Russia), suspend the membership or cancel
it. The EU on the other hand is much more efficient in sanctioning
because the EU, unlike the CoE, can apply economic sanctions (it
has been seen with Russia). But according to Zahorka the EU is in
somewhat difficult situation because it is trying to diversify from
Russian oil and gas, in which Azerbaijan plays a role.
Having said that, however, Zahorka also noted that Azerbaijan should
not count too much on the EU in this context, because the EU tries to
diversify as fast as possible from all important primary raw materials
(such as gas and oil) in order to avoid energy dependency on any
one country. He mentioned that in autumn 2014 for instance wind
energy produced only in Germany created more electricity than all
the nuclear power plants created in Germany, that renewable energy
like solar and wind energy are now in a real economic boost.
"We of course need energy, but at the same time we need less energy per
capita, because for instance every fridge now uses less energy than
its predecessors. We are going to end up in an energy mix including
lots of decentralized energy sources like solar energy, wind energy,
water energy and geothermal energy. For example, I live in a "passive
house" - only with solar and geothermal energy plus electricity,
without any oil and gas, an average house to live in. So altogether
less energy will be needed, especially less fossil energy...
Thus in this respect the importance of Azerbaijan as an energy
provider to European countries is not as big as it is portrayed;
it is actually fading away - slowly but surely," said the former MEP.
In any case the EU has all the right to apply its soft power in
pointing out the flaws in member countries as regards their commitments
to European values, despite being good clients to them; in this respect
"one of the primary objectives should be to bring Azerbaijan on the
path of democracy," he added.
Mr. Zahorka also welcomed the recently formed Nagorno Karabakh group
in the European Parliament presided by Frank Engel from Luxemburg.
"Any MEP has the right to open any informal group he wants on whatever
issue he wants. We have various groups on big and small issues
as well as on relations between certain countries, regions or even
cities. So if we have a friendship group with Azerbaijan then why not
have a friendship group with Nagorno Karabakh? Those MEPs involved
in this group are interested in the exchange of information about
Nagorno Karabakh because they see that there is a possible conflict
there. As EU representatives they are interested in having peace at
its borders and this group facilitates awareness on this important
issue," he noted.
At the same time Zahorka thinks that Nagorno Karabakh is not properly
represented in Europe. "There are very good reasons for NKR to exist
as a state; however there is an urgent need for its leadership to do
a better PR abroad and to raise awareness about Nagorno Karabakh.
History can play an important role in this, and this can be done
without any caviar," he said.
Having been an election observer in NKR in 2012, Mr. Zahorka noticed
also that NK government makes a mistake by inviting representatives
of right-wing extremists from Europe as election observers, some of
whom are not taken serious in the EU. "The people of Nagorno Karabakh
deserve the solidarity of European democrats, for the 2012 elections
were indeed very clean, free and fair. The people of Azerbaijan would
be happy if they had elections under these circumstances as in Karabakh
at least once," he said.
As for further relations between the EU and Armenia now that Armenia
has joined the Customs Union, Hans-Jurgen Zahorka, who has been
an active advocate of Armenia's European integration, believes
Armenia should make an overall strategic rethinking of its foreign
policy before it becomes a full-fledged member of the Eurasian Union
and should "place the relations with European Union on an orderly
fundament". Armenia can still develop its economic relations with
the EU and facilitate the export to Europe of such products as
Armenian wine, cognac, vodka, agricultural products such as fish,
etc., as well as tourism, the full potential of which he believes is
not quite reached. According to him possibilities regarding a more
active role of the EU in the region, such as for instance the presence
of EU peacekeepers in Nagorno Karabakh, also needs to be explored,
given that the EU foreign and security policy is now gaining momentum.
After all, "Armenia is a part of Europe; it is attached to European
values," said Zahorka, "and in future it might have the potential of
becoming a member of the EU."
Nvard Chalikyan
http://www.panorama.am/en/interviews/2015/02/02/zahorka/
http://www.eufaj.eu
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
18:03 02/02/2015 >> INTERVIEWS
Panorama.am presents an interview with Mr. Hans-Jurgen Zahorka,
Chief Editor of European Union Foreign Affairs Journal (EUFAJ) and
a former Member of European Parliament. Mr. Zahorka shared his view
on the approach of Europe to Azerbaijan's deteriorating human rights
record, Azerbaijan's significance as an energy exporter to Europe,
the formation of the Nagorno Karabakh group in the EP, some aspects
of EU-Armenia future relations and other issues.
Commenting on the question of deteriorating human rights record in
Azerbaijan, which was once again raised in a wave of protests in
Germany during Aliyev's latest visit to Berlin, Mr. Zahorka said,
"Crackdown on human rights in Azerbaijan has been growing and getting
worse and worse recently. Azerbaijan has been chairing the Committee
of Ministers of the Council of Europe and within this term the worst
crackdowns have been committed against activists, journalists, NGOs
and other civil society representatives in Azerbaijan (take only the
recent closure of Radio Liberty, or the arrests of every possible
opposition figure). This first of all is happening because Azerbaijan
is governed by an authoritarian president, in an authoritarian system,
which tries to do everything to preserve its status and which does not
at all fit into the European culture of discussion we have otherwise."
At the same time he pointed to the fact that parallel to the crackdown
within the country there is also an opposition forming itself outside
of Azerbaijan, which the Azerbaijani censorship cannot prevent from
speaking out against the regime.
Commenting about the "caviar diplomacy" of Azerbaijan in the Council
of Europe and the European Parliament Mr. Zahorka said that such
method of bringing individual members of parliament on their side is
condemnable. "If you have to give a kilo of caviar for someone to vote
in favour of something then this is a sign of weakness", - he said,
adding that "Azerbaijan is today the most corrupt country among the
CoE member states, which is very clearly confirmed by several or all
of the opposition movements of that country."
Mr. Zahorka found himself in the black list of Azerbaijan after he
visited the Nagorno Karabakh Republic as an observer of presidential
elections in 2012. Even though not at all unhappy about being a
persona non grata in Azerbaijan, he deplored such policies and said
that his example is just one among many. He recalled for instance the
case of former PACE rapporteur on Political Prisoners in Azerbaijan
Mr. Strasser (now Commissioner for Human Rights for the German
Government) who was simply barred from entering Azerbaijan to do
his job. Unfortunately these incidents according to Mr. Zahorka also
demonstrate the weakness of the Council of Europe, "which has a lot
to catch up with possible sanctions to its member states if they step
aside from their commitments". Having said that he at the same time
noted that the CoE clearly condemned Azerbaijan for the breach of a
convention in the Ramil Safarov murder case after the prison "swap"
Hungary-Azerbaijan - this was an overdue but a clear response to
such practices.
In relation to sanctions as such Mr. Zahorka reminded that the CoE
has three ways to apply sanctions - it can cut the right to vote
(which was the case with Russia), suspend the membership or cancel
it. The EU on the other hand is much more efficient in sanctioning
because the EU, unlike the CoE, can apply economic sanctions (it
has been seen with Russia). But according to Zahorka the EU is in
somewhat difficult situation because it is trying to diversify from
Russian oil and gas, in which Azerbaijan plays a role.
Having said that, however, Zahorka also noted that Azerbaijan should
not count too much on the EU in this context, because the EU tries to
diversify as fast as possible from all important primary raw materials
(such as gas and oil) in order to avoid energy dependency on any
one country. He mentioned that in autumn 2014 for instance wind
energy produced only in Germany created more electricity than all
the nuclear power plants created in Germany, that renewable energy
like solar and wind energy are now in a real economic boost.
"We of course need energy, but at the same time we need less energy per
capita, because for instance every fridge now uses less energy than
its predecessors. We are going to end up in an energy mix including
lots of decentralized energy sources like solar energy, wind energy,
water energy and geothermal energy. For example, I live in a "passive
house" - only with solar and geothermal energy plus electricity,
without any oil and gas, an average house to live in. So altogether
less energy will be needed, especially less fossil energy...
Thus in this respect the importance of Azerbaijan as an energy
provider to European countries is not as big as it is portrayed;
it is actually fading away - slowly but surely," said the former MEP.
In any case the EU has all the right to apply its soft power in
pointing out the flaws in member countries as regards their commitments
to European values, despite being good clients to them; in this respect
"one of the primary objectives should be to bring Azerbaijan on the
path of democracy," he added.
Mr. Zahorka also welcomed the recently formed Nagorno Karabakh group
in the European Parliament presided by Frank Engel from Luxemburg.
"Any MEP has the right to open any informal group he wants on whatever
issue he wants. We have various groups on big and small issues
as well as on relations between certain countries, regions or even
cities. So if we have a friendship group with Azerbaijan then why not
have a friendship group with Nagorno Karabakh? Those MEPs involved
in this group are interested in the exchange of information about
Nagorno Karabakh because they see that there is a possible conflict
there. As EU representatives they are interested in having peace at
its borders and this group facilitates awareness on this important
issue," he noted.
At the same time Zahorka thinks that Nagorno Karabakh is not properly
represented in Europe. "There are very good reasons for NKR to exist
as a state; however there is an urgent need for its leadership to do
a better PR abroad and to raise awareness about Nagorno Karabakh.
History can play an important role in this, and this can be done
without any caviar," he said.
Having been an election observer in NKR in 2012, Mr. Zahorka noticed
also that NK government makes a mistake by inviting representatives
of right-wing extremists from Europe as election observers, some of
whom are not taken serious in the EU. "The people of Nagorno Karabakh
deserve the solidarity of European democrats, for the 2012 elections
were indeed very clean, free and fair. The people of Azerbaijan would
be happy if they had elections under these circumstances as in Karabakh
at least once," he said.
As for further relations between the EU and Armenia now that Armenia
has joined the Customs Union, Hans-Jurgen Zahorka, who has been
an active advocate of Armenia's European integration, believes
Armenia should make an overall strategic rethinking of its foreign
policy before it becomes a full-fledged member of the Eurasian Union
and should "place the relations with European Union on an orderly
fundament". Armenia can still develop its economic relations with
the EU and facilitate the export to Europe of such products as
Armenian wine, cognac, vodka, agricultural products such as fish,
etc., as well as tourism, the full potential of which he believes is
not quite reached. According to him possibilities regarding a more
active role of the EU in the region, such as for instance the presence
of EU peacekeepers in Nagorno Karabakh, also needs to be explored,
given that the EU foreign and security policy is now gaining momentum.
After all, "Armenia is a part of Europe; it is attached to European
values," said Zahorka, "and in future it might have the potential of
becoming a member of the EU."
Nvard Chalikyan
http://www.panorama.am/en/interviews/2015/02/02/zahorka/
http://www.eufaj.eu
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress