10/04/2025 | 17:41:07 Mister President, It is the right time to discuss not only the pressures facing democracy, but also the ability of institutions to shape real outcomes in a rapidly changing and conflict-prone world. Since the launch of the European Political Community, the global situation has become more tense and fragmented. Instead of lasting peace and greater prosperity, we have seen a multiplication of risks, confrontations, and geopolitical shocks. The world has not become more peaceful, and in many... 09/04/2025 | 19:04:02 Dear colleagues, Today, the decline of democracy in many states goes hand in hand with a growing erosion of confidence in the judiciary. As we assess the effectiveness of the execution of the European Court’s judgments, we must remember: this is not merely a matter of legal formality. It is about public trust in justice and about the future of the rule of law in our countries. In this context, it is essential to understand how the European Court’s decisions actually influence the quality of... 08/04/2025 | 11:37:57 Madam Chair, Foreign influence comes when internal weaknesses are ignored. To stay relevant, Europe must face and overcome them. I see five such challenges. One. Institutional fatigue. Many political institutions in Europe were unprepared for today's challenges. For years, there was faith in the stability of liberal democracy. Problems weren't solved; they were often ignored. Thus, interference becomes possible not just because of external intent, but because of internal weakness. Two... 07/04/2025 | 16:37:59 It has been one month since Armenia and Azerbaijan announced an agreement on the text of a so-called peace treaty. This news was met with constructive enthusiasm by the international community. Despite the fact that the Armenian public has yet to see the text, which remains unpublished. The treaty has not yet been signed in Armenia. Many now perceive this secretive peace treaty as something that distances us from genuine peace. Instead of fostering confidence in the future, the current... 29/01/2025 | 19:58:00 (Undelivered speech, Rules of Procedure Art. 31.2) Mister Chairman, Demographic decline, migration, and the erosion of traditional values pose existential challenges to our nations, threatening economic stability, democratic resilience, and national identity. The non-EU Member States of the Council of Europe face a stark reality: migration and declining birth rates are not contributing to demographic stability. Many of these nations, including Armenia, are sources of migration to the EU and... 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...