The USA and France do not perceive the post-war realities in Azerbaijan, but Russia accepts - Ilham Aliyev

Baku is outraged that the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe has deprived the Azerbaijani delegation of the right to vote on the initiative of German deputies. This decision was made on the initiative of a German MP, a member of Chancellor Scholz's party, stated the Head of state Ilham Aliyev, receiving a group of German businessmen on Wednesday.

"Is not this a double standard or a game with us?! The German Chancellor is demonstrating impartiality, and a member of his party wants to alienate Azerbaijan, one of the two non-Christian countries in PACE," Aliyev protested.

"We have decided not to participate in PACE meetings. If we do not have the right to express our position, why should we be there? If the rights of our delegation are not restored within a year, we will seriously consider the issue of full withdrawal from the Council of Europe," Aliyev said.

Further, he was outraged by the fact that Azerbaijan is presented in the German media as a despotic country where freedoms are not guaranteed, people are imprisoned for their opinions and where a dictatorship reigns.

"This is a complete lie," Aliyev said and noted that the German ambassador, who works in Azerbaijan, is a witness to the processes in Azerbaijan. He further again accused the West of putting pressure on Baku when Azerbaijan militarily liberated its lands. At the same time, he named the USA and France.

"I think that Russia now understands well what is happening and accepts the new realities. The United States and France should do the same. Otherwise, the situation will not be as they planned," Aliyev said.