Political analyst Farhad Mammadov urged Azerbaijan to leave the European Union’s Eastern Partnership program and instead build ties with the bloc around areas of mutual interest.
Mammadov made the proposal in a Telegram post after the European Parliament adopted a new resolution on Azerbaijan on October 8. He argued that critical resolutions would continue and that Baku should reconsider the structure of its relationship with Brussels.
He said Azerbaijan does not seek EU membership and has no realistic prospect of joining the bloc. In his view, leaving the Eastern Partnership would reduce political expectations and allow Azerbaijan and the EU to focus on practical cooperation.
Mammadov said Azerbaijan should be treated by the EU in a manner similar to the United Arab Emirates and Kazakhstan. His comments were an outside expert’s proposal, not an announcement of government policy.
European Parliament Resolution
The European Parliament’s October 8 resolution addressed the cases of Ali Karimli, Anar Mammadli and others whom lawmakers described as political prisoners. Parliament called for their release, urged preparations for targeted measures under the EU’s human-rights sanctions regime and said a future partnership agreement with Azerbaijan should depend on concrete human-rights improvements. The proceedings were listed in the Parliament’s official plenary agenda.
Azerbaijan’s Milli Majlis rejected the allegations, calling the resolution biased and based on false information. Azerbaijani lawmakers also disputed the use of the term “political prisoners” and accused the European Parliament of interfering in the country’s internal affairs.
The EU launched the Eastern Partnership in 2009 as a cooperation framework for six eastern neighbors. Participation does not itself amount to an application for EU membership.
Source: Vesti Baku.