Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2005-06-09-Speech-4-189"
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"en.20050609.30.4-189"2
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".
Mr President, the European Commission shares the concerns of the European Parliament and the international community on human rights and democratisation in Azerbaijan. We are following the events in the country very closely, particularly as regards fundamental freedoms, the media and the right of expression and assembly. We are also closely monitoring preparations for the November 2005 parliamentary elections and urging the Azerbaijani authorities to ensure that they are conducted in full compliance with OSCE commitments and other international standards for democratic elections.
Some Members have asked if we should send a team of observers to the forthcoming parliamentary elections in Azerbaijan. In line with standard practice in the OSCE region, a European Union election observation mission will not be deployed for the elections in Azerbaijan. Instead, support will be given to the OSCE/ODIHR election observation mission that is to be deployed. The Commission will also consider whether, in line with recent actions and in connection with the elections in Ukraine, Moldova and Kyrgyzstan, financial support can be provided to the OSCE/ODIHR fund in order to widen participation in election observation missions, to enable more observers from central, eastern, south-eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union to participate.
All these issues and activities must be seen against the background of Azerbaijan’s inclusion in the European Neighbourhood Policy, as decided by the Council in June 2004. At its meetings with the Azerbaijani authorities, the Commission has always stressed that the European Neighbourhood Policy necessarily implies sharing fundamental values such as democracy, respect of human rights and the holding of genuinely democratic elections.
As you know, on 25 April 2005 the General Affairs and External Relations Council decided to offer Azerbaijan the opportunity to develop an ENP Action Plan with the European Union and I hope that will be finalised before the end of this year. Human rights, fundamental freedoms, genuinely democratic elections and democratisation will be amongst the main priorities of this document, which will provide overall guidance for future relations between Azerbaijan and the European Union.
Moreover, the Commission is assisting Azerbaijan with its institutional, legal and administrative reforms through the TACIS programme. This whole range of issues is one of the two main priorities chosen for the TACIS National Action Programme 2004-2005.
Last but not least, the Commission is also providing financial support through its European initiative for democracy and human rights. Five regional projects are currently being funded in the southern Caucasus for a total amount of over EUR 5 million. The Commission will continue to use all the means at its disposal to pursue effective protection of human rights in Azerbaijan and to make sure that the democratisation of the country progresses smoothly in the near future."@en1
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