Azerbaijan’s Milli Majlis voted on Friday (1 May) to suspend cooperation with the European Parliament across all areas, escalating tensions after lawmakers in Baku accused the chamber of sustained bias.
The decision was announced during Friday’s plenary session after a special parliamentary commission was established to prepare a formal response to what officials described as the European Parliament’s “hostile activities” towards Azerbaijan.
Scope of suspended cooperation
Under the adopted resolution:
The draft resolution was later approved in a plenary vote.
Milli Majlis Speaker Sahiba Gafarova stated that relations with the European Parliament had previously been suspended due to biased documents, before being restored in 2016.
“Unfortunately, the past 10 years have shown that the European Parliament has no intention of abandoning its biased activity against Azerbaijan,” she said.
Gafarova added that Azerbaijan’s restoration of its territorial integrity had only intensified criticism from the chamber.
Former deputy speaker Ziyafat Askerov was appointed head of the commission that prepared the decision.
The decision follows a recent European Parliament resolution on Azerbaijan and ongoing disputes between Baku and Brussels related to human rights, regional developments, and the Armenia-Azerbaijan peace process.
Some MPs argued that the European Parliament has shifted from an impartial institution to a politically biased body.
MP Elnara Akimova described the move as: “not an emotional step, but a political response to a long-accumulated pattern of injustice.”
She added that selective approaches and double standards are incompatible with international law and European values.
The move comes days after claims by Minval Politika that former Luis Moreno Ocampo discussed efforts to influence European policy towards Azerbaijan through political contacts and pressure campaigns.
The establishment of the commission also follows a resolution adopted by the European Parliament on 30 April concerning Azerbaijan, adding to a series of recent disputes between Baku and Brussels over human rights, regional politics, and the Armenia-Azerbaijan peace process.
The suspension of ties marks one of the sharpest institutional ruptures between Azerbaijan’s parliament and the European Parliament in recent years.
Rescue teams raced on Wednesday to reach dozens of workers believed to be trapped in...
The European Union's foreign policy chief Kaia Kallas says the bloc will tighten enforcement of sanctions against Russia over its war in Ukrain...
Iran’s central bank governor has sought to reassure the country’s financial markets, saying Tehran has enough foreign currency reserves...
Leaders of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) have gathered in Bishkek for a summit focused on trade, investment and transport as the group marks 25 years since its creation.
The U.S. has launched a fresh wave of strikes on Iran, targeting Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) sites as Tehran retaliated against U.S. positions across the region, while Iranian officials said at least five people were killed and dozens wounded at a wedding near Sirik.
Apple is entering a new era as Tim Cook steps down as chief executive after 15 years at the helm, handing the technology giant's leadership to longtime executive John Ternus.
Start your day informed with the AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top stories for 1st September, covering the latest developments.
The death toll from last week's catastrophic floods in Nepal and Tibet surpassed 1000 on Tuesday, with about 4,000 people, including 590 foreign nationals from 39 countries, still missing, as fresh rainfall pushed up river levels and forced rescuers to move to higher ground.
Rescue teams raced on Wednesday to reach dozens of workers believed to be trapped inside hydropower tunnels in Nepal's mountains, a week after a Himalayan flood killed more than 1,200 people.
Iran’s central bank governor has sought to reassure the country’s financial markets, saying Tehran has enough foreign currency reserves despite mounting U.S. sanctions and economic pressure.
The Council of the European Union has agreed to suspend import duties on a range of Armenian products for two years to support the country’s economy, after Russia imposed trade restrictions.
There's a fresh buzz around the Anaklia Deep-Water Port site this week, with the arrival of a second dredging vessel called the Al-Idrisi, which has now entered the waters off the future port to join its sister vessel, the Tristao Da Cunha.
A search-and-rescue operation is under way in the Sea of Marmara after two Turkish-flagged commercial vessels collided off Istanbul early on Wednesday, after one ship sank with 10 crew members aboard.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment