Baku hosts EU-Azerbaijan Parliamentary Committee meeting

By Azernews

By Amina Nazarli

Relations between Azerbaijan and the European Union were on the agenda of talks in Baku on September 20, as a delegation of the EU- Azerbaijan Parliamentary Cooperation Committee paid a visit to Azerbaijan. 

At  first, the European delegation was received by President Ilham Aliyev, who criticized the resolution adopted by the European Parliament on Azerbaijan a year ago.

President Aliyev said this caused a serious regression in relations and it will be difficult to move forward and plan future activities without clarifying this matter.

“This came out as a surprise,” said the head of state. “We, in Azerbaijan, consider this as a step based on a very hostile, inaccurate, false information and bias and as an attempt to harm our country’s reputation.”

The president said some members of the European Parliament have warned the organization not to adopt the document.

“I heard one of them saying, ‘We will lose Azerbaijan.’ Maybe that is so. A commissioner of the European Commission spoke as well, made warnings, but they weren’t heard. And what happened as a result? There are no ties, no contact,” he added.

Ilham Aliyev went on to add that Azerbaijan didn’t create a working group in its parliament. “We discontinued our activity in the Euronest. This is the situation. We can’t act as if nothing has happened. We have to clarify this. We have to look at what we can do to address this. What can we talk about if this remains the same, if nothing happens?” said the president.

On the same day, the 13th meeting of the European Union (EU)-Azerbaijan Parliamentary Committee (PCC) was held in the capital city.

The European Parliament (EP) delegation chaired by the co-chair of EU-Azerbaijan PCC and head of the EP delegation Sajjad Karim (ECR, UK) included Heidi Hautala (Greens/EFA, FIN, co-president of EURONEST PA), Ramona Manescu (EPP, RO), Alberto Cirio (EPP, IT), Andrejs Mamikins (S&D, LV) and Iveta Grigule (ALDE, LV).

At the meetings held at the Azerbaijani Parliament, Samad Seyidov, Chairman of the International and Interparliamentary Relations committee stressed the commitment of Azerbaijan to pursue cooperation with the EU.

Sajjad Karim, for his part, highlighted that the EU considered its relationship with Azerbaijan as a very important and mutually beneficial one.

“There is substantial potential to deepen and strengthen the bilateral relationship,” he added. “It is essential that the EU-Azerbaijan relationship, which has many aspects, is structured to deliver constructive progress for the people of the European Union and Azerbaijan on an equal basis.”

As part of the visit, the EP delegation also has meetings with economy Minister Shahin Mustafayev Deputy Foreign Minister Mahmud Mammad-Guliyev.

The delegation also visited an EU-funded project of modernization of public service ASAN, an innovative Azerbaijani model of public service delivery. The Service, established in 2012, provides opportunity for state agencies to render their services in a uniformed and coordinated manner.