Azernews.Az

Considerable progress is observed in Azerbaijan's implementation of its Council of Europe commitments, the head of a CE group said on a visit to Baku Friday.
Reconsideration of the Election Code and the Law on Freedom of Assembly is enough to make that conclusion, chairman of the CE Ministerial Committee's Ago monitoring group Per Sjogren said.
Sjogren pointed to improvements in the judiciary system but said reforms should be pursued to ensure that all sides have equal opportunities in courts. This requires conducting training sessions to raise the qualifications of judges and lawyers.
He said Azerbaijan had the potential to carry out the needed reforms. "The country's economy is rapidly developing and the education level of the population is high, which promises a bright future."
Sjogren noted that the CE supported the activity of the taskforce on "political prisoners". "This work has to continue until the problem is solved."
Azerbaijani officials have repeatedly said there are no political prisoners in the country.
He went on to say that the CE was concerned over the situation with the media in the country and called on Azerbaijani authorities to uphold the standards set by the organization for its member states.
"We want Azerbaijan to deliver on all of its obligations to the CE," Sjogren said.
The Ago group will issue a report based on the talks and observations made in Baku.
Ago is in charge of tracking the South Caucasus states' compliance with their CE commitments.