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The U.S. has urged authorities in Azerbaijan to ensure that actions taken in response to COVID-19 are not used to silence civil society advocacy, opposition voices, or public discussion, according to the State Department's fact sheet, released on July 20th, TURAN's Washington correspondent reports.
"Azerbaijani authorities have harassed and arrested -- and in one case institutionalized in a psychiatric hospital -- opposition members and others who have criticized the government," the State Department noted.
It goes on to highlight that the U.S. is committed to the protection of democracy, good governance, and human rights in the global response to the COVID-19 pandemic. "Societies that respect and defend human rights, fundamental freedoms, democratic institutions, and the rule of law are best equipped to respond transparently and effectively to crises," the State Department noted.
"A robust respect for human rights, as well as whole-of-society action, are necessary parts of the solution to public health crises. Government responses to the COVID-19 epidemic must not use the disease as a pretext for repression of persons or ideas," the report said.
According to the authors, the U.S. Government leverages bilateral and multilateral diplomacy, foreign assistance, and other foreign policy tools and resources to advance democratic norms and combat authoritarian responses to the COVID-19 pandemic.
At the State Department, the Bureau for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor (DRL) has launched a COVID-19 Working Group to coordinate policy and programming on government transparency and accountability, full participation of civil society, and access to information.
The U.S. Agency for International Development’s (USAID) Center of Excellence on Democracy, Human Rights, and Governance (DRG Center) has created a cross-cutting DRG Issues and COVID-19 Working Group.
Alex Raufoglu
Washington D.C.
Politics
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Armenia is not against the dissolution of the OSCE Minsk Group, but does not consider it appropriate to discuss this issue now. "In the context of peace, we consider it possible to make a decision on the dissolution of the OSCE Minsk Group. When peace is an established fact, the existence of such a format may raise questions," Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said at a press conference today. "The whole question is about the timing, we need to understand how effectively and correctly to turn such topics into a subject of discussion right now," the Armenian Prime Minister added.
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He expressed his willingness to meet with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev at the border between the two countries. "A meeting with Ilham Aliyev could take place at the Armenian-Azerbaijani border. I am open to such a format," Pashinyan said at a press conference today. According to Pashinyan, Armenia recently presented another proposal for a peace treaty to Azerbaijan.
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On August 31, Azerbaijan observes a "day of silence" before the Sunday’s early parliamentary elections for the unicameral Milli Majlis. All electoral campaigning is prohibited 24 hours before the voting. The early elections were initiated by the ruling Yeni Azerbaijan Party. This decision was motivated by the overlap of the scheduled elections in November with the global UN forum - the COP20 climate conference taking place in Baku.
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On August 30, at approximately 22:55, the Armenian Nuclear Power Plant in Metsamor was disconnected from the country's power grid, as reported by the Armenian Ministry of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure. The shutdown was caused by a lightning strike, which triggered the plant's safety systems to switch the station to a safe shutdown mode. Currently, the plant's staff is working on restarting the facility.
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