Co-operation between Azerbaijan and the Council of Europe has reached a stalemate - G.Landsbergis

It is regrettable that co-operation between Azerbaijan and the Council of Europe has reached a stalemate, Gabrielius Landsbergis, the current chairman of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe and Lithuania's Foreign Minister, said at a session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) in Strasbourg on Wednesday. Last July, the Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT) issued a public statement to address the persistent lack of co-operation by the Azerbaijani authorities. We are concerned about the reported violations of the right to freedom of expression and the imposition of disproportionate criminal sanctions to limit freedom of expression in Azerbaijan.

Regarding the disempowerment of the Azerbaijani delegation in PACE in January 2024 Landsbergis emphasized the importance of "open and inclusive dialogue between PACE and Azerbaijan to address current issues." He stated, "Azerbaijan is a full member of the organization, just like all member states, and has obligations to adhere to the standards of the Council of Europe." He deemed the travel ban imposed on PACE members to Azerbaijan due to their voting on the Azerbaijani delegation's powers as "unacceptable."

"I urge the Azerbaijani authorities to revoke this decision, to continue good-faith interaction and cooperation with all institutions of the Council of Europe, and to urgently return to consultations with PACE leadership regarding the future of the Azerbaijani delegation's powers," Landsbergis stated.

In response to a question about the normalization of relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia, he mentioned that the Committee of Ministers expressed full support for the peace process based on the principles of mutual recognition of territorial integrity, respect for sovereignty, inviolability of borders, and the non-use of force. He also welcomed the border delimitation process based on the Almaty Declaration of 1991.