European Parliament: No deal with Azerbaijan without respect of EU values
The Foreign Affairs Committee of the European Parliament (EP) discussed the EU-Azerbaijan Comprehensive Agreement at its Wednesday session to pass it by 56 votes to 2, with 7 abstentions, the EP official website reported.
The Foreign Affairs MEPs, however, announced that the deepening of EU-Azerbaijan relations are conditioned on respecting EU values and rights.
The MEPs call on the EU Council, Commission and External Action Service to ensure that the deepening of EU-Azerbaijan relations is conditional on upholding and respecting democracy, rule of law, good governance, human rights and fundamental freedoms.
The lawmakers also call them to remind the Azerbaijani authorities that no comprehensive agreement will be ratified with a country that does not respect fundamental EU values and rights, and guarantee that the future deal with Azerbaijan is ‘ambitious, comprehensive, and will deliver benefits to both sides’.
The Foreign Affairs MEPs urge the EU bodies to put in place specific provisions to support Azerbaijan in fighting economic crime including corruption, money laundering and tax evasion and back investigations into laundering schemes notably the “Laundromat” affair and ensure, before the conclusion of the negotiations, that Azerbaijan takes significant steps as regards the release of political prisoners and prisoners of conscience which, in 2017, exceeded 150 persons.
They are urged to further support free and pluralistic media in Azerbaijan with editorial independence and in line with EU standards.
The MEPs also reflected on the peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, stating the EU participation in the peace talks should be enhanced.
They say underlining that new deals between the EU and each of the parties to this conflict must be made conditional on meaningful commitments to and substantial progress towards the conflict’s peaceful resolution.
The European Parliament is expected to vote on the final text of the agreement at its July 2018 plenary session in Strasbourg.
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