AZE.US
Azerbaijan is considering withdrawing entirely from the Council of Europe, President Ilham Aliyev said at the opening of the Fourth Shusha Global Media Forum.
Speaking at the forum, titled “Media’s Mission in Promoting Peace: Restoring Truth and Rebuilding Trust,” Aliyev said Baku was no longer discussing only the suspension or freezing of its membership.
“Azerbaijan is considering a complete withdrawal from the organization,” he said.
The president linked the possible move to the continuing dispute between Baku and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, known as PACE.
Aliyev recalled that Azerbaijan joined the Council of Europe in 2001. At the time, he was a member of the Azerbaijani parliament and headed the country’s delegation to PACE for two years.
According to Aliyev, relations with the European institution deteriorated sharply after Azerbaijan restored control over its entire internationally recognized territory in September 2023.
He said PACE subsequently adopted resolutions aimed at punishing Azerbaijan for its actions.
In January 2024, PACE declined to ratify the credentials of the Azerbaijani delegation, effectively leaving its members without voting rights. The Azerbaijani delegation then suspended its participation in the assembly.
Aliyev argued that the decision was not primarily connected to human rights concerns.
“If it had been about human rights, they would have acted much earlier,” he said. “It was punishment connected to the restoration of our territorial integrity.”
The president defended the Azerbaijani delegation’s decision to stop attending PACE meetings.
“If we do not have voting rights, why should we be there?” he asked.
Aliyev also said Azerbaijan had been prevented from participating in the election of judges to the European Court of Human Rights.
As a result, he said, Baku does not recognize decisions made by judges elected without Azerbaijan’s participation.
“We did not vote for those judges, and we have faced discrimination for two years,” Aliyev said.
According to the president, the secretary general of the Council of Europe contacted him and asked Azerbaijan not to leave the organization, saying the sides should seek a way to resolve the dispute.
Aliyev said PACE continues to adopt what he described as ultimatum-like and unacceptable decisions directed at Azerbaijan, even though the country’s delegation has been denied the right to participate in voting.
He insisted that PACE must restore the Azerbaijani delegation’s voting rights before its representatives return to the assembly.
“We did not take any wrong steps,” Aliyev said. “They made an unjust decision. They must reverse it and acknowledge their mistake.”
The Azerbaijani leader suggested that leaving the Council of Europe would have little practical effect on the country.
“If Azerbaijan completely leaves the Council of Europe, no one will feel it,” he said. “Very little will change. Perhaps things will even become better.”
Aliyev stressed that Azerbaijan was not seeking confrontation with European institutions but would not accept what he described as biased and unfounded accusations.
“This was not our choice,” he said.
Azerbaijan joined the Council of Europe voluntarily in 2001, Aliyev noted, with expectations that the organization would assist in resolving the conflict over Karabakh.
“At that time, many things were different,” he said. “We joined with great hope that they would help us address our main concern, the resolution of the Karabakh conflict.”
AZE.US