Elmar Mammadyarov assures, a police disperse

Baku/07.05.14/Turan : On the eve of the 124th session of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe  in Vienna Azerbaijan  accepted chairmanship in this organization for the next six months. On this occasion , Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov presented the priorities of the Azerbaijani presidency.

"Azerbaijan will spare no effort in strong support of the three pillars of the Council of Europe - human rights, rule of law, and democracy." "Supporting and promoting the fundamental values ​​of the Council of Europe will be in the center of all our activities and obligations ,"  said Mammadyarov .  Azerbaijan will pay serious attention to the urgent and resolute response of member countries to the problems of democracy, stability and security . One of the priorities of Azerbaijan will also be anti-corruption issues.

A high-level conference  will be organized together with the International Anti-Corruption Academy in Baku. It will give importance to the application of anti-corruption laws and to share best practices. Azerbaijan will also focus on intercultural dialogue, and intends to organize an annual exchange of the Council of Europe on this topic. Azerbaijan intends to focus on issues of social solidarity and support poorly protected populations.

Azerbaijan will also focus on youth policy, and take the fourth regional meeting on European policy in the field of higher education and the Global Forum of the UN in the field of youth policy.

Baku will also hold a high-level conference on the role of judges in the local implementation of the European Convention on Human Rights .

Azerbaijan will support collaboration  of the CE with the OSCE and the UN.

In September 2014 , Baku will host a high-level ministerial conference dedicated to  Neighborhood Policy Council of Europe.

Azerbaijan will work closely with the General Secretariat , PACE, the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities and other bodies of the Council of Europe. Over six-month of presidency  Azerbaijan will hold 18 events .

Note that a few hours before the solemn assurances by Mamedyarov  on commitment to human rights and the rule of law, a verdict against  NIDA activists was passed in Baku, and  a rally in their support was violently dispersed; more than 20 participants of the rally were arrested and brought to justice.

Therefore the beginning of Azerbaijan's chairmanship of the Council of Europe, the organization for which the human rights are above all, is more a false start. -06D –