Azerbaijan,Georgia decline to attend Euronest in Yerevan

ArmInfo. The delegation of the Milli Majlis of Azerbaijan will not participate in  the 12th plenary session of the Euronest Assembly in Yerevan, which  is scheduled to take place from October 28-30. Tahir Mirkishili, head  of the Azerbaijani delegation to Euronest, told APA.

According to him, the documents and statements of the European  Parliament, which make up half of the Euronest PA's activities,  contradict the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Azerbaijan.  The specific documents in question were not specified.

The Georgian side also has declined to participate in the event.  According to Georgian media, Levan Makhashvili, Chairman of the  Georgian Parliament's Committee on European Integration, has sent a  letter to the Euronest Parliamentary Assembly. As Makhashvili  observes, recent actions by the Euronest Parliamentary Assembly raise  serious concerns, as they appear to be at odds with the fundamental  principles and objectives outlined in the Assembly's Founding Act and  the Joint Declaration of the Prague Summit of the Eastern  Partnership. He also stated that the multilateral dialogue, which was  once widely supported by Assembly members, has regrettably become a  thing of the past.

 "Intentionally distorted and false political statements are  increasingly becoming part of the activities of those European  parliamentarians who, in Georgia, favor their political partners  convicted of crimes over facts, evidence, and the will of the  Georgian people. Georgian society witnessed these European  parliamentarians joining protests in front of the Georgian  Parliament, which goes beyond the scope of parliamentary diplomacy.  Some members of the European Parliament's delegation to the Euronest  Assembly made statements that encouraged civil unrest,  radicalization, and violence in our country.  Furthermore,  resolutions and reports of the European Parliament and the Euronest  Assembly on Georgia continue to ignore the democratically expressed  will of the Georgian people.

" We are also deeply concerned by the decision to extend Euronest PA  invitations to several individuals, labelled as "civil society," even  though they have been involved in, or supportive of, actions aimed at  rejecting elections, undermining legitimate democratic institutions  and contributing to the recent attempted overthrow of the government  in Georgia. Instead of clearly distancing itself from such actions  and the violence associated with them, the Assembly's current  approach grants legitimacy to actors whose agendas are inconsistent  with democratic principles.

  The fact that the majority of partner countries do not participate in  the Euronest PA should serve as a serious indication that something  is rotten in the state of EP's current approach. It must reflect on  whether its present path truly strengthens regional cooperation or  burns the partnership bridges down. Its over- politicised approach  undermines the credibility of the Assembly and the integrity of the  broader partnership between the European Union and its associated  states. t was with this background that the Georgian Parliament's  delegation refrained from participating in the 12th Ordinary Session  of the Euronest Parliamentary Assembly in Yerevan. We strongly urge  the leadership of the Euronest Parliamentary Assembly to reflect on  these concerns and to recommit to the Assembly's founding principles.  Only through such reflection and renewal can the Euronest PA truly  fulfill its mission and continue to serve as a credible platform for  the Eastern Partnership and its participating nation," the letter  reads.

The 12th plenary session of the Eastern Partnership Parliamentary  Assembly (Euronest), along with bureau and committee meetings, will  be held in Yerevan from October 28 to 30. The meetings of the  Euronest PA committees on politics, human rights and democracy, and  economic integration, as well as  legislative approximation and  alignment with EU policy will take place on October 28.,.  Additionally, meetings of the committees on social affairs,  employment, education, culture, civil society, and energy security  will be held on the same day. On October 29, the opening of the 12th  plenary session of the Euronest Parliamentary Assembly will take  place in the NA meeting hall.