Dear Co-Chairmen, dear colleagues,
Today here I give a difficult, but an important message for you and European Parliament. We’re in a sensitive situation and unfortunately, have to react to series of unprecedented attacks against Azerbaijan in the organization, which we see as a place of friendship, confidence, and cooperation.
Observation missions of European Parliament, PACE, OSCE PA, and others, except that of OSCE/ODIHR, evaluated the elections as free, transparent, fair and in accordance with OSCE and CoE standards. OSCE Chairman-in-Office supported the evaluation of these institutions. Unfortunately, in Article 32 of the resolution on European Neighborhood Policy adopted on October 23, 2013, the European Parliament stated that the elections did not meet OSCE standards, grounding on the results of a Bureau of OSCE (OSCE/ODIHR), by demonstrating disrespect and untrust to positive evaluation of its own observation mission. There is a question: What’s the actual position of European Parliament? Does it want to cooperate with Azerbaijan and create peace and stability in South Caucasus? Does it recognize its reports and delegation?! What is the aim of such abnormal situation against its partner, by ignoring own official observation mission, which is not common for practice of European Parliament and other international organizations?
I would like to note that we cannot accept groundless attacks, like the ones by Leonidas Donskis (ALDE, Lithuania), Ulrike Lunacek (Greens, Austria), Ana Gomes (S&D, Portugal), and Gerben Jan Gerbrandy – group of MEPs, which organize campaigns against Azerbaijan in the European Parliament, even before the elections by stating that there will be problems regarding the elections. This is our message for the European Parliament: improve the situation of your house before attacking others. We reproach the current situation of the European Parliament as an international institution.
Azerbaijan had repeatedly addressed the leadership of the Euronest PA, expressing its objection to Armenian chairmanship until the peace is reached and stating that otherwise, it will stop its activity within EaP component of the Euronest PA during Armenian chairmanship.
Taking into consideration tha above-mentioned, I state that Azerbaijani side:
1. resolutely refuses the Article 32 of the resolution by the European Parliament regarding Presidential elections in Azerbaijan dated October 23, 2013, which seriously damages the image of its own observation mission and instigates diversion and unrests, and has to think about the format of further cooperation with the Euronest PA until the reasons of this Article are investigated and appropriate measures are taken
and
2. Azerbaijan will stop its activity in this institution during the Armenian chairmanship of the Euronest PA from EaP component until the liberation of Azerbaijani territories from the occupation.
Thank you for attention and I leave Bureau meeting as a protest to the Article 32 of the resolution by European Parliament.
Elkhan Suleymanov
Vice-President of the Euronest PA
Chairman of Azerbaijani Delegation to the Euronest PA