Ilham Aliev's refusal to attend EaP summit has to do to criticism of human rights violations

According to the experts, interviewed by the "Caucasian Knot", the stagnation in Azerbaijani relations with the West is the reason of President Ilham Aliev's absence at the summit of the "Eastern Partnership" (EaP), organized by the European Union (EU).

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that officially Aliev's refusal to attend the EaP summit held on May 21-22 in Riga was explained by Azerbaijan's preparation for the European Games.

On March 25, the European Commission (EC) published a report on Azerbaijan's progress as a member of the European Neighbourhood Policy. The country saw a worsened status of public organizations and rights defenders, while the authorities failed to take sufficient steps to resolve the Karabakh conflict, the EC's experts report.

The explanation of Aliev's refusal to attend the summit is unconvincing, said Khikmet Gadjizade, the head of the Far Centre for Political and Economic Studies. According to his version, the criticism by the West could influence Aliev's decision.

Azerbaijan is ready to develop its economic and energy cooperation with the EU, but opposes the Europe's criticism of human rights issues, which are regarded by Baku to be "its internal affair," said Togrul Djuvarly, a member of the Azerbaijan National Public Committee for European Integration.

The oppositional "Musavat" Party regards the "disrespect" of the summit by the leadership of Azerbaijan as a step counter the country's state interests.

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.