POLITICS

COE SECRETARY GENERAL APPROVES RELATIONS WITH MILLI MAJLIS

08.04.2004 [15:37]
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Chairman of the Milli Majlis Murtuz Alasgarov met Council of Europe Secretary General Walter Schwimmer, who is staying in Azerbaijan on an official visit, April 7. He expressed to the guest his gratitude for the support his organization has been providing for Azerbaijan to integrate into Europe. The Chairman reminded that after joining the Council of Europe, Azerbaijan has signed over 40 Conventions, protocols and other documents of this structure. He pointed out as well that Azerbaijan had passed a number of laws concerning human rights protection, established Ombudsman institute and Constitutional Court, as well as had drawn up the draft Law “On Tele- and Radio Broadcasting” and submitted it for European experts’ consideration.

Chairman Murtuz Alasgarov let the COE Secretary General know that the Parliament has recently passed the Law “On Fight against Corruption”, while a number of other ones are now under intensive elaboration, and pointed out that Azerbaijan had been conscientiously honoring its commitments to the Council of Europe.

The parties as well touched upon the political prisoners’ issue. It was mentioned that under the Decrees of Pardon issued by nationwide leader of Azerbaijan Heydar Aliyev and the Head of State Ilham Aliyev, the important steps had been taken to discharge those whom the Council of Europe called political prisoners. As a result of the 32 Decrees on Pardon issued in 1995-2003 by President Heydar Aliyev, and 7 laws on amnesty passed by the Milli Majlis, 716 have been discharged, and cases of 11 are now under court examination. According to the Chairman, for the short period, President Ilham Aliyev has issued two Decrees on Pardon of December 2003 and March 17 2004 discharging over 100 men. Therefore, Azerbaijan has fulfilled its commitment to the Council Europe.

The meeting also focused on the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh. Mr. Murtuz Alasgarov pointed out with regret the same approach by some international organizations to both aggressor and subject of the aggression, displaying double standards policy on the issue. He reminded on destruction of Azerbaijan cultural monuments and over 900 populated areas.

COE Secretary General Walter Schwimmer has given appositive assessment to the relations between the Milli Majlis and the Council of Europe saying the goal of the organization was to render necessary assistance to Azerbaijan. He pointed out the recommendations of the Venice Commission and OSCE Bureau of Democratic Institutions and Human Rights concerning the Election Code, and expressed hope that Azerbaijan would make use of the recommendations during Parliamentary elections to be held in Azerbaijan in November 2005.

Mr. Schwimmer noted that one of the main Council of Europe’s clauses is indepencence of mass media and freedom of expression, and welcomed the law on alternative military service to be shortly passed in Azerbaijan.

He noted as well that he had always welcomed the Decrees on Pardon issued by President Heydar Aliyev, and stressed the two new Decrees signed by the Head of Azerbaija Ilham Aliyev created good basis for the independent experts to complete their reports.

The COE Secretary General announced he was going to visit one of the encampments, and that existence of over 1 million refugees terrified him. He expressed opinion that the issue must be in the constant focus of the Europe’s attention, “The Nagorno–Karabakh conflict is the problem of not only Azerbaijan or region but also the whole Europe,” he said. Mr. Schwimmer stressed that this conflict contradicted the principles of the Council of Europe.