PACE makes politically motivated decision on Azerbaijan Statement by PACE member

Member of the Serbian delegation to PACE Stefan Jovanovic has said that the decision to appeal the authority of the Azerbaijani delegation to PACE is politically motivated.

“It is important for all members of the Council of Europe to fulfil their obligations. It is also important for such organisations as PACE and the Council of Europe to adhere to the fundamental principles of respect for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of participating countries,” he told Report.

Jovanovic said that the result of the appeal of the powers of Azerbaijani MPs in PACE, which is planned to be discussed on January 24, could be the restriction of the voting rights of the delegation for a year.

“This would be an undesirable decision. Sanctions or punitive measures, such as restrictions on voting rights, are serious measures. Instead of sanctions, it would be more constructive to start a dialogue and diplomatic discussions. Sanctions may lead to bigger tension in relations. They will not contribute to a positive solution to the issues that these measures are trying to solve,” he noted.

Jovanovic noted that it is very important to take into account long-term relations and the wider consequences of such decisions for cooperation and unity of the member states of the Council of Europe.

“The timing of such initiatives seems counterproductive, given the desire of some Council of Europe member states to facilitate ongoing negotiations between Armenia and Azerbaijan and the country’s presidency of the COP-29 climate conference this year,” he added.