PACE co-rapporteurs to prepare report on Azerbaijan in two years
By Sara Rajabova
A report on Azerbaijan of the co-rapporteurs of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) Monitoring Committee will be prepared in two years, one of the two co-rapporteurs, Pedro Agramunt, said in Baku on June 13.
Agramunt was speaking to a news conference held jointly with his counterpart, Joseph Debono Grech, following their visit to Azerbaijan.
"The purpose of the visit was to prepare the second report on Azerbaijan," Agramunt said. "The report will be prepared in two years. The Azerbaijani government is open to all our recommendations."
The previous report was adopted in January 2013 with a 197-13 vote.
The co-rapporteurs urged the government to investigate the allegations of exerting pressure on some journalists, to ensure freedom of expression and to reach a compromise in connection with the allocation of venues for holding demonstrations in Baku.
They stressed that meetings were held with the Azerbaijani President, Interior Minister, Justice Minister, Prosecutor General, Chairman of the Supreme Court, as well as representatives of opposition parties and civil society during the visit.
The meeting of President Ilham Aliyev and the PACE co-rapporteurs focused on the current state of and prospects for cooperation between Azerbaijan and the Council of Europe.
Also, during their visit the co-rapporteurs met with the leaders of political parties represented in the Azerbaijani parliament and the chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Legal Policy and State Building Ali Huseynli.
At their meeting with Huseynli, the co-rapporteurs held discussions on Azerbaijan's commitments to the Council of Europe.
The sides mainly discussed bringing some of the provisions of the Azerbaijani legislation into compliance with European laws.
The meeting of the co-rapporteurs with representatives of political parties was attended by the deputy executive secretary of the ruling Yeni Azerbaijan Party (YAP), Mubariz Gurbanli, chairman of the Party of Social Welfare Khanhuseyn Kazymly, chairman of the Civil Solidarity Party Sabir Rustamkhanli and chairman of the Democratic Reforms Party Asim Mollazade.
The parties discussed the relations between Azerbaijan and the Council of Europe, the monitoring process, the upcoming elections in Azerbaijan, the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and other issues.
Agramunt said PACE is closely following the democratic process in Azerbaijan and will continue to cooperate with Baku in the future.
The co-rapporteurs also met with the leader of Real movement Ilgar Mammadov and deputy chairman of Musavat party Tofig Yagublu.