The President warned PACE and Armenia ...

In a recent meeting with Secretary General Martin Chungong of the Interparliamentary Union, President Ilham Aliyev voiced strong objections to the decision made by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) to strip the Azerbaijani delegation of its voting rights. The President attributed this decision to a minority group's initiative and contended that it goes against established parliamentary traditions. He insisted that the rights of the Azerbaijani delegation must be reinstated, warning that failure to do so could lead to a reconsideration of Azerbaijan's participation in the Council of Europe and the European Court of Human Rights.

President Aliyev also addressed the ongoing relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia, asserting that a de facto peace currently exists between the two nations. Despite a peaceful situation prevailing on the border for several months, the President emphasized the necessity of signing a peace treaty to formally conclude the process and put an end to Armenia's territorial claims against Azerbaijan. He pointed to Armenia's Declaration of Independence, which calls for the unification of the Karabakh region with Armenia and violates Azerbaijan's territorial integrity. The President urged for amendments to the Armenian Constitution and other legal documents to remove such claims, considering it a crucial step towards achieving lasting peace.

Political commentator Rauf Mirkadyrov offered insights on these developments in the program "A Difficult Question." Mirkadyrov expressed skepticism about Azerbaijan reconsidering its participation in European institutions, highlighting the importance of European opportunities for the country. He suggested that Azerbaijan's actions in response to the PACE decision were situational and emphasized that Europe, unlike Azerbaijan's energy carriers, could easily find alternatives.

Mirkadyrov also raised concerns about Azerbaijan's financial capacity to rebuild the recently liberated territories, suggesting a need for external investments, which European countries could provide. Despite the strategic importance of Azerbaijan in the Middle Corridor project, Mirkadyrov acknowledged that Europe might find alternative logistics opportunities.

While acknowledging President Aliyev's positive stance on the de facto peace, Mirkadyrov cautioned that it might be fragile, asserting that real peace could only be achieved when Armenia renounces its territorial claims. The expert's assessment reflected a nuanced perspective on the geopolitical dynamics at play in the region.