Azerbaijan has suspended relations with the European Parliament for alleged anti – Azerbaijani resolutions. Turan News Agency reports that President Ilham Aliyev announced this news on Thursday while meeting with representatives of the programme, “Eastern Partnership” in Azerbaijan.
Aliyev stated that the passing of “offensive” and “unfounded” resolutions was not the fault of Azerbaijan, which was simply trying to defend its fair and justified position. He continued to name the president and the vice – president of the European Parliament, “a part of the anti – Azerbaijani forces” and said that “…their statements, attacks and slander have called into question the future of Azeri and European cooperation.”
Aliyev did not mention any resolutions accepted by the European Parliament in particular. He also did not make use of specific names. However, it is speculated that the resolutions in question refer to those made in the fall of last year, when the EP deliberated the imposition of sanctions against several Azerbaijani authorities for the government’s failure to cease the violation of human and citizens rights in the country.
Azerbaijan’s position towards the European Parliament has not always been so stern: five years ago, the European Parliament made a statement in favor of Azerbaijan’s position in the Karabakh Conflict, which the Azerbaijani government hailed as a “decision based on strong principles.”
