From the very beginning, when Azerbaijani representatives joined the family of continental elected representatives, unexpected aggravations that could have been easily settled through compromises began to emerge.
Overly arrogant politicians of individual countries, like seasoned scandalmongers, have sought and found tricky elements to aggravate relations. This is a favorite tactic for finding whipping boys, especially among new members.
There are serious disagreements again in the dialogue between the representatives of Azerbaijan and the Franco-German alliance in PACE, and the old guard majority threatens to suspend the vote of a sovereign country.
The Europeans have always enjoyed attacking Baku with threats and blackmail, sparking heated but dishonest debates. It is par for the course for the Europeans not to want to listen to others. It is important for them to lecture and leave no chance to others when fundamental issues of democracy are at stake.
But a balanced and unbiased approach to the trends that have taken root in the corridors of the Council of Europe (CoE) and PACE, highlights a far from rhetorical question: are the Europeans, who never tire of operating with worn-out clichés, democratic?! Should they be teaching lessons of civility and equality to others, when they themselves cannot stand criticism?!
The decision, to put it bluntly, is draconian and has nothing to do with human rights. This is an attempt to retaliate against Azerbaijan for a clean victory over the protégé of the Westerners, that is, Irevan, which went on a rampage in the occupied lands for thirty years.
It is as if the people who have restored their sovereignty and territorial integrity are being shown that they are not free to act on their own even when their rights are blatantly violated. If Europeans care so much about human rights and freedoms, then why did they stoically keep silent when they saw the incredible suffering of hundreds of thousands of Azerbaijani refugees and IDPs? Did they have nothing to say, or did they see the vast mass of unsettled people as a collective sham?!
Azerbaijan became a member of the Council of Europe in the early 1990s because it wanted to get a fair position on the Karabakh problem from this institution. However, the expectations of the people proved unjustified not because there was no political power behind the Council of Europe and PACE. These institutions simply turned out to be highly opportunistic and too bureaucratic, not to mention blatantly partisan.
But for many years these institutions have been practically inactive with regard to the acute problem that threatened the security of the Caucasus region. Neither the CoE nor the PACE ever bothered to at least condemn the aggressor and its separatist spawn. The formal statements that were adopted in the parlors of these organizations had no legally binding effect. Armenia, as the aggressor, understood perfectly well the nature of the comedy that was being played out by politicians and MPs of European countries, effectively spurring the occupier on to new exploits.
Azerbaijan was outraged when PACE turned a blind eye to the crimes of a member state, Armenia, against another member state. And why did it not occur to anyone to condemn the aggressor and raise the question of suspending its vote in the PACE?
The Karabakh problem is a thing of the past now, thanks to the valiant victory of the Azerbaijani people and its heroic army, which accomplished its liberation mission with honor. Azerbaijan currently has no need for the Council of Europe, a body that has no influence on the continent. In fact, it is a rudimentary instrument, operating in the spirit of deceiving the public of the Old World, and working solely for the corporate goals of a group of savvy political businessmen.
If we go back to the events of the past, we should recall how the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), at the suggestion of the Council of Europe and PACE, with great pleasure issued warnings and unfair decisions for Azerbaijan, taking as a basis the so-called violations of obligations by a member state of the Council of Europe. The provisions of the European Convention on Human Rights were taken as a basis. But the question arises again: why were these same provisions not applied to Armenia, which blatantly violated the rules and standards of international law?!
Azerbaijan has things to remember and to say to PACE. If it decides to suspend the country’s vote, the Azerbaijani delegation will most likely cease its activity in the disgraceful institution. Along with this, Azerbaijan may also leave the jurisdiction of the European Court of Human Rights. And this will be an adequate response to the irresponsible actions and traditional bias of European institutions against a self-sufficient country.
Since Azerbaijan joined the organization (2001), pro-Armenian and Islamophobic forces have systematically used leverage against Azerbaijan. Their tools have become blunt when faced with Baku’s ironclad stance, but those accustomed to acting crudely continue to swing their axe.
Today we should say with full responsibility and out loud that the Council of Europe is a camp of Islamophobic and Turkophobic representatives of various European countries who cannot get into the European Parliament. They have found a convenient platform for themselves to practice political hazing.
One only has to look at an ardent representative of typical European mediocrity in the person of German MP Frank Schwabe. He made a proposal under which France and Germany act in tandem to bash Azerbaijan.
Having fallen flat on its face on the Azerbaijani track, France thought of nothing better than to send German representatives to the forefront in order to implement its nefarious desires. By the way, it is worth recalling that nowadays both countries stand out only for their accumulated baggage of failures. They ruin their image with their own hands, building up a bad reputation.
They should know that the suspension of Azerbaijan’s vote will not impede Baku in building up its baggage of political dividends. Unlike its enemies and detractors, Azerbaijani diplomacy acts promptly and flexibly. This is who Europeans should learn rationality and honesty from.
Tofig Abbasov
Translated from Minval.az
