Frank Schwabe drives Europe's political path into abyss

Since late January of this year, tension has been high in the relations between Azerbaijan and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), which was triggered by the Assembly's decision not to ratify the credentials submitted by the Parliamentary delegation of Azerbaijan. Considering the high potential for cooperation between the two sides, it is regrettable that certain factions within PACE harbor biases against Baku and openly reflect these biases in their policies.

For nearly thirty years, Azerbaijan sought assistance from the Council regarding refugees and internally displaced persons, nevertheless, the Council consistently refrained from engaging in such matters, claiming it lacked the mandate. After the Azerbaijani Army liberated Garabagh from Armenian occupation, many politicians revealed their pro-Armenian stances. It is worth noting that after the liberation of Azerbaijani territories, discussions on the Garabagh issue became a recurring topic in almost every session of the assembly. Curiously, some deputies who had opposed the discussion of the Garabagh conflict over the previous 30 years began persistently raising the issue in every session. These individuals, who previously ignored discussions about the rights of Azerbaijani refugees and IDPs during the occupation, now openly focused on the rights of Armenians who later settled in Garabagh and their fate after leaving Azerbaijan.

Azerbaijan’s decision to invite the OSCE, rather than PACE, to monitor the early elections held in February became a pretext for these individuals. Frank Schwabe, head of the German delegation to PACE, is one of the politicians with a pro-Armenian stance and bias against Azerbaijan.