Mr. Martin Schulz

President of the European Parliament

Members of the European Parliament

Bureau Members of the Euronest Parliamentary Assembly,

except Armenian member

Why should Azerbaijan remain in the Euronest Parliamentary Assembly?

Honourable Members,

I write to you as a last resort, concerning the membership and participation of Azerbaijan in the Euronest Parliamentary Assembly Initiative. As we count a great number of Members of European Parliament as good friends of peace and cooperation in the world, I would like to receive your answer, your opinion on this important matter.

I argue that Euronest is a failed and unfortunate initiative. It was an attempt to create a new international forum for discussion that is now being bogged down by indecision, platitudes and double standards. Instead of finding common solutions to the main problems affecting both the European Union and Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine, it is simply discussing the least important, most vague of issues, with no consequence whatsoever to any of its statements and decisions.

The worst of this is the behaviour of the European Parliament. Supposedly a trusting partner, the Parliament shows a double standard in the way it expresses itself towards its partners. How can members of the Azerbaijan delegation ever trust the statements, promises and declaration of MEPs, if the EP continuously publishes and endorses damaging and unproductive reports and resolutions? How can the Parliament claim legitimacy, when it endorses one kind of open and friendly message in Euronest, while in its Strasbourg plenary it passes acts alleging grave and unfounded accusations against our country?

Would the European Parliament cooperate with a partner that on one hand publishes documents promoting the rule of law and one the other, actively tries to interfere in judicial processes of the its partner countries? I think not. I also sadly do not think anymore that the Azerbaijan Parliament should legitimize this kind of hypocrisy.

At the same time, Honourable Members, I want to reclaim the fact that although Euronest was advertised as capable of addressing the most pressing concerns of the ‘Eastern Partners’, it acts as if there was no the occupation of Nagorno-Karabakh and surrounding regions of Azerbaijan by Armenian soldiers! By failing to mention and to address the violation of countless UN, OSCE and even EP resolutions and documents, Euronest shows a clear bias towards the Armenian aggressors. At the same time, Armenia is still an active member of Euronest, despite the fact is has recently signed its entry into the Eurasian Customs Union, an act that invalidates its cooperation with the European Union. Yet no statement was made on that by the European Parliament.

What are we, dear Members, to understand from this? That no matter what happens, Armenia will be rewarded, while Azerbaijan is insulted, its interests avoided, its rule of law continuously attacked by an institution claiming to desire cooperation and friendship?

Honourable Members,

I ask you therefore: why should Azerbaijan remain a member of Euronest? Can we expect true equal treatment? I am eager to see your response.

I assure you, fellow representatives, of my outmost respect and wish to extend my warm regards,

 

Sincerely,

Elkhan Suleymanov

Chairman of Azerbaijani Delegation to the Euronest PA