Baku. Photo: © Sputnik / Vladimir Pesnya, https://ru.sputnik.az/news/20181110/417837630/norway-azerbaijan-zakrytie-posolstva.html

12 November 2018, 13:41

Opposition links closure of Norwegian Embassy in Baku with democracy regress

The Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) has announced its plans to close its Embassy in Baku and open it in Tbilisi. The Embassy in Turkey will be in charge of relationships with Azerbaijan, the MFA has stated. According to the opposition, the closure of the Embassy has to do with a regress of democracy in Azerbaijan.

"Georgia is our main partner in Southern Caucasus. As a result of reforms, this country has become closer to European and Euro-Atlantic structures," the MFA's website quotes Ms Ine Marie Eriksen Søreide, the head of the Norwegian MFA, as saying.

The official Baku has expressed its regret about the Oslo's decision.

Ilgar Mamedov, the leader of the "Republican Alternative" (ReAl) Party, treats the closure of the Norwegian Embassy as a serious failure of the Azerbaijani diplomacy.

"Norway is known as one of the most developed democratic states. Its departure from Azerbaijan is an indicator that it has lost confidence in Azerbaijani authorities ... This is a strong blow on the country's image," said Ali Kerimli, the leader of the Popular Front Party of Azerbaijan (PFPA).

According to Togrul Djuvarly, a member of the Azerbaijani National Public Committee for European Integration, apart from its energy interests, Norway has actively supported civil society projects.

Ilham Shaban, the head of the Centre for Oil Studies named "Caspian Barrel", does not believe that the closure of the embassy has to do with problems in bilateral relations.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on November 11, 2018 at 03:17 am MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.

Author: Faik Medjid Source: CK correspondent

All news
НАСТОЯЩИЙ МАТЕРИАЛ (ИНФОРМАЦИЯ) ПРОИЗВЕДЕН И РАСПРОСТРАНЕН ИНОСТРАННЫМ АГЕНТОМ ООО “МЕМО”, ЛИБО КАСАЕТСЯ ДЕЯТЕЛЬНОСТИ ИНОСТРАННОГО АГЕНТА ООО “МЕМО”.

March 28, 2024 22:19

  • Court extends arrest of blogger Alyona Agafonova

    Alyona Agafonova, a blogger from Samara, accused of desecrating a symbol of military glory because of her video filmed near the monument "The Motherland is Calling!" has been left in custody until June 19.

March 28, 2024 22:13

March 28, 2024 22:03

  • Attack on Crocus City Hall highlights issue of state assistance to victims of terror acts

    In Russia, the status of victims of terror acts should be legislated and state assistance should be guaranteed to them, human rights defenders claim after the terror act at the Crocus City Hall. According to the human rights defenders, the authorities still do not provide full-scale assistance to the victims of the terror act in Beslan and the militant attack on Nalchik.

March 27, 2024 16:51

March 27, 2024 14:49

News archive