28/01/2025 | 18:50:21 Mister President, dear colleagues, we have heard many interventions. The long list of speakers today underlines the importance of this report. In connection with the preparation of this report, our Committee held several hearings. The approach of the Committee members was always to put aside their political differences and focus on the scope of the report, namely the humanitarian situation, in line with the fundamental values of the Council of Europe. The draft resolution and its addendum... 28/01/2025 | 13:06:28 (Undelivered speech, Rules of Procedure Art. 31.2) Ladies and gentlemen, The liberal agenda, democracy, human rights, and the rule of law are receding from the international agenda as we once knew. Economic crises, the social media revolution, and the rise of far-right and far-left populism have led to severe polarization within European states and, as a consequence, to weaker Europe as a whole. More often than not we see that in Europe our shared sense of interests and aspirations is often... 27/01/2025 | 17:20:59 It is already evident that the signing of the so-called peace treaty does not align with Ilham Aliyev's motivations. His motivations are far from peaceful. The foundation of Azerbaijan's post-Soviet period is rooted in an anti-Armenian paradigm. In its confrontation with Armenians, the Azerbaijani dictatorships began the search for their own national identity. National chauvinism and xenophobia remain defining drivers of the authoritarian Azerbaijan authorities actions even today. Aliyev's... 01/10/2024 | 18:16:05 Mister President, I believe that our organisation is unique in terms of positioning itself as a bastion of democracy, human rights, and rule of law on one hand, and continuously making compromises with members who are consistently ignoring these fundamental values. I would like to bring attention of my colleagues from United Kingdom and Serbia to the fact that the case of Azerbaijan in the Council of Europe is a vivid example of a member that not only failed to become more democratic and open... 01/10/2024 | 12:54:58 Mister Secretary General, The first prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, Mr Luis Moreno OCAMPO, publicly assessed Azerbaijan's policy in Nagorno-Karabakh as genocide. The Lemkin Institute for Genocide Prevention declared that in 2023, a new era of acceptable genocide started in Nagorno-Karabakh. Mr Ilham ALIYEV publicly promises his citizens to live in the territories of Armenia, calling them "Western Azerbaijan". Armenian prisoners, including the former leadership of Nagorno... 30/09/2024 | 17:51:07 (Undelivered speech, Rules of Procedure Art. 31.2) Mister President, It's been a year since the ethnic cleansing of Armenians in Nagorno Karabakh. At least 120 000 Armenians who lost their ancestral homes in Nagorno Karabakh are in despair and denied of any future. For over a year Azerbaijan has – with impunity - been destroying the Armenian heritage in Artsakh, the identity of our people. Dozens of Armenian prisoners and leadership of Nagorno Karabakh among them remain in Baku. The situation... 26/06/2024 | 19:37:40 Thanks. There are three criteria in my view for evaluating monitoring reports: objectivity, relevance, and utility. From the objectivity standpoint, I have to say that the documents submitted to this debate do not reflect the real situation with human rights and democracy in Armenia. Since Resolution 2427 and in the documents tabled today there is a fundamental flaw and misunderstanding about the nature of the current situation in my country. To put it more clearly, the institutions that... 24/06/2024 | 16:38:48 Madam Chair, Europe is facing crucial challenges. They will define not only the place of Europe in the global order but also its future as a unique civilisation. I will elaborate about three such issues. First, all institutions of European integration and co-operation should redefine their mechanism of operation and functionality. The Council of Europe has a special mission in this regard and the new Secretary General should deal will this challenge without delay. We have to avoid the... 18/04/2024 | 18:12:13 Dear colleagues, Armenia is the closest of the Council's country to the Middle East, so everything that happens and can happen there is critically important and has an impact on my country. We are also very concerned because hundreds of thousands of Armenians live in the countries of the region. In Armenia, it is not just enough to adequately understand what is happening in the region and how it may end. We must also define red lines for honest relations with allies, partners and neighbours... 18/04/2024 | 12:19:23 Dear colleagues, This Assembly has constantly pleaded for the strengthening of the Council of Europe's action to effectively protect human rights to a healthy environment. In Reykjavík last year, the heads of state and government endorsed the political commitment to defend this right and to make it a visible priority for the Council of Europe's work. The two reports we have just debated call for action. We must move from words to deeds so that the right to a healthy environment takes shape...