Baku Conference Reflects Strained EU-Azerbaijan Relations Amidst Evolving Eastern Partnership Policy

Baku/24.10.23/Turan: A significant conference titled "EU-Azerbaijan relations in the policy of the New Eastern Partnership" unfolded today in the heart of Azerbaijan's capital, marking a pivotal juncture for the European Union as it reevaluates its Eastern Partnership policy amidst shifting geopolitical dynamics.

In light of the ever-evolving global landscape, the European Union finds itself compelled to reassess its stance on the Eastern Partnership. As new geopolitical realities take shape, the diverse statuses and distinct circumstances of the six EU member states—Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine—demand a more tailored and nuanced EU strategy for each nation. Against this backdrop, Azerbaijan is diligently crafting a national agenda while concurrently devising comprehensive plans for the reintegration of recently liberated territories.

Initially intended to address pressing issues, the conference sought answers to questions such as: What role will Azerbaijan assume within the revamped Eastern Partnership policy? What challenges and opportunities lie ahead in the European integration process for Azerbaijan? How can EU-Azerbaijan relations be steered towards bolstering regional security and stability? Crucially, how can civil society actively contribute to realizing the twin goals of European integration and the reintegration of the Karabakh region and Eastern Zangezur?

Regrettably, these complex questions remained unanswered during the planned trilateral discussion, which was meant to feature the participation of the Azerbaijani government, Azerbaijani civil society, and EU representatives.

The authorities chose to forego their involvement, despite prior announcements of participation from the presidential administration and parliament.

Peter Mikhalko, head of the EU mission, and Michel Peetermans, the Ambassador of Belgium representing the future EU presidency, found themselves diplomatically acknowledging the existing complexities in EU-Azerbaijan relations. Despite receiving questions from the audience, the ambassadors were unable to elucidate why Azerbaijan had failed to meet its commitments regarding civil society involvement in the implementation of the Eastern Partnership program.

These developments underscore ongoing concerns about restrictions on civil society activities, both within the framework of the Eastern Partnership and beyond. The matter of the EU's future actions in response to the arrest of two members of the national civic platform for European integration, Bakhtiyar Hajiyev and Gubad Ibadolgu, remained unanswered.

Amidst these circumstances, the contributions and initiatives of civil society towards normalizing relations with Armenia and reintegrating Armenians into Azerbaijan remain unutilized.

Anar Mammadli, human rights defender, noted, "I have previously proposed including an Armenian from Karabakh in the Azerbaijani platform, but this found no response in Baku or Yerevan."

The conference served to highlight the challenges in EU-Azerbaijan relations, with Brussels striving to engage Baku in the democratization process, while Baku accuses the West of taking a biased pro-Armenian stance in efforts to quell Armenian separatism and restore the country's sovereignty.

A clear path to break free from this cycle of mutual misunderstanding remains elusive.

The Azerbaijani National Platform of the Civil Society Forum, the organizer of the conference, was established in November 2009 and plays a pivotal role in facilitating this critical dialogue. Comprising 70 member organizations, this platform operates through five Working Groups, each dedicated to different thematic areas. These groups contribute to aligning Azerbaijan's state policies with principles of democracy, human rights, good governance, and stability (Iq1); economic integration and convergence with EU policies (Iq2); environment, climate change, and energy security (Iq3); people-to-people contacts (Iq4); and social and labor policy, as well as social dialogue (Iq5).--0--