The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan strongly rejects and condemns the accusations made by Theodoros Rousopoulos, President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), during his interview with Alpha News.
As noted by MFA spokesperson Aykhan Hajizada, despite Azerbaijan’s openness to dialogue — even after the unjust steps taken against our country in violation of the Charter of the Council of Europe and through the abuse of PACE’s mandate — Rousopoulos, Schwabe, and others like them continue their persistent attempts to discredit Azerbaijan’s position, which is firmly grounded in international law and principles of justice.
Over the years, PACE has rightfully earned the deep frustration of the Azerbaijani public due to its biased and anti-Azerbaijani approach, which has long been marked by double standards.
Insulting the head of our state and calling him a “dictator” is not only absolutely unacceptable — it is a clear reflection of political illiteracy and a lack of basic diplomatic decency. The current hysterical climate within the Assembly, with Rousopoulos — the real “dictator” — at its helm, vividly illustrates the dismal state of affairs in PACE. A similar state of dysfunction can also be observed in the European Parliament.
Regarding Azerbaijan’s position on the European Court of Human Rights, it is entirely unreasonable to expect our country to implement decisions issued by judges in whose election Azerbaijan was not involved. Under such conditions, executing these rulings is neither fair nor possible.
It should also be emphasized that Theodoros Rousopoulos has been placed on Azerbaijan’s blacklist, alongside 76 PACE members who supported the politically motivated and legally questionable initiative to suspend the voting rights of the Azerbaijani delegation.
As stated by the MFA representative: “Should Mr. Rousopoulos attempt to enter Azerbaijan, he will be denied entry.”
