The beginning of relations with Council of Europe, Europe’s influential organization in the framework of the policy of integration of the Republic of Azerbaijan to the West, dates back to 1992, however building cooperation with this All-European organization failed that year. It was connected to the problems Azerbaijan faced, at the same time CoE was not ready to influence Caucasus. 

But rapid changes happened brought to significant results in the path of Azerbaijan’s admission to this organization. Reaching ceasefire between Azerbaijan and Armenia in 1994, steps taken in our republic for sustainable reforms, formation of democratic state, assurance of human and civil rights and freedoms, joining the international conventions in this sphere and contributing to their application in the country, lifting the press censorship in 1998 and abolishing the capital punishment intensified our country’s admission to CoE.

Using the rostrum of CoE, the Republic of Azerbaijan, a full member of this organization since January 2001, has been informing the world community of its realities. The speech President Ilham Aliyev delivered at the PACE summer session on June 24 is significant in this connection.

Informing the attendees of the session of problems occurred in Azerbaijan in the first years of independence and measures taken to solve them, the Azerbaijani President talked of the works done in the country to ensure the human and civil rights and freedoms.

The most important point is the occupation of Azerbaijan’s lands by Armenia and President Ilham Aliyev made a comprehensive report concerning this. Firmly noting that none of several important resolutions and decisions adopted by the United Nations Security Council, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, the European Parliament and the OSCE with regard to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan has been fulfilled, the President said there should be a mechanism for the implementation of the resolutions, otherwise they will lose their substance.

“…Nagorno-Karabakh is an historic part of Azerbaijan. Even the word “Karabakh” is of Azerbaijani origin and, in fact, all the geographic toponyms of that area belong to our people. According to the norms of international law, Nagorno-Karabakh is an integral part of Azerbaijan. The whole world recognises Nagorno-Karabakh as part of Azerbaijan and no one, including Armenia, recognises Nagorno-Karabakh and its illegal regime as an independent entity. The United Nations Security Council, the world’s highest international body, has adopted four resolutions demanding unconditional and immediate withdrawal of Armenian forces from the occupied territories. As I said, those resolutions unfortunately have not been implemented. Again, we have a policy of double standards. Some UN resolutions are implemented within hours, but in our case it has been more than 20 years. There is no mechanism to deal with the situation and Armenia simply does not want to liberate any territories. It does not want to leave occupied territory.”

Apparently, using the high rostrum of the Council of Europe, this speech once again declared Azerbaijan’s objectives and wills, also Armenia’s occupant policy to the world states. 

Laman Khalilova,
"Azerbaijan Realities".