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Aliyev demands PACE restore credentials of Azerbaijani delegation

The Azerbaijani president stressed that Baku "could seriously consider a complete withdrawal from the Council of Europe"

BAKU, February 28. /TASS/. Azerbaijan could consider exiting the Council of Europe if the rights of its delegation in PACE are not restored within a year, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said as he received a delegation from the Eastern Committee of the German Economy.

"As you know, we have decided not to participate in the sessions of this organization (PACE - TASS), because if we do not have the right to express our position, why should we be there? If our delegation's rights are not restored within a year, we could seriously consider a complete withdrawal from the Council of Europe," Aliyev said, the Azertac news agency reported.

PACE decided not to ratify the credentials of the Azerbaijani delegation when it reconvened for the winter session in January. As a reason, it said Azerbaijan had not invited the organization to send representatives to observe the special presidential election in the country that were set for February 7. Baku was also accused of persecuting the opposition and violating the rights of Armenians from Nagorno-Karabakh.

Even before the ratification vote, the Azerbaijani delegation issued a statement accusing PACE of applying double standards and attempting "unjustified interference in the ongoing electoral process in Azerbaijan." The country’s delegation said it was ending its involvement and presence in PACE until further notice.

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Azerbaijan PACE

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