Strasbourg (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – EU Parliament condemned Azerbaijan’s poor human rights record and urged the EU to conclude its gas reliance on Baku.
MEPs in a resolution adopted by the EU Parliament vehemently condemned the Azerbaijan regime’s longstanding domestic and extraterritorial repression of advocates, journalists, opposition figures, and others, including EU citizens, which has noticeably strengthened ahead of the upcoming 29th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP29) in Baku on 11 to 22 November.
How does Azerbaijan’s human rights record affect COP29?
MEPs claimed that Azerbaijan’s continued human rights abuses are inconsistent with its hosting of the climate conference and urged EU leaders such as European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to utilise the gathering as an option to address the country’s poor track record in this field. Parliament called the government in Baku to terminate all forms of repression in and beyond Azerbaijan, release all individuals arbitrarily detained and drop all politically motivated indictments.
Why is the EU called to end gas reliance on Baku?
Mentioning Azerbaijan’s continuous human rights abuses and worries that increased gas imports from Azerbaijan to the EU might be repaid in turn by Baku importing Russian gas. MEPs call for the EU’s dependence on gas exports from Azerbaijan to stop. They also ask the European Commission to stop the 2022 Memorandum of Understanding on the Strategic Partnership in the field of energy between the EU and Azerbaijan.
What conditions must be met for future EU-Azerbaijan cooperation?
The resolution also stated that any future cooperation agreement between the EU and Azerbaijan must be made conditional on Baku freeing political prisoners, executing legal reforms, enhancing the overall human rights crisis in the country as well as showing its genuine readiness to faithfully pledge to peace negotiations with neighbouring Armenia following the 2023 Azerbaijani offensive in Nagorno-Karabakh.
How is the sovereignty of both Azerbaijan and Armenia supported?
Moreover, reaffirming their backing for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of both Azerbaijan and Armenia, MEPs supported the normalisation of ties between the two countries and the signing of a long-awaited peace deal. They also called for the departure of all Azerbaijani troops from the entirety of Armenia’s sovereign territory and the release of the 23 Armenian prisoners of war confined following Azerbaijan’s retaking of the Nagorno-Karabakh region last year.
What measures are proposed to block military supplies to Azerbaijan?
EU Parliament called on the member states to block the exports of all military and security supplies to Azerbaijan, while cautioning that further Azerbaijani military action against Armenia would be fulfilled with serious consequences.
