Addressing the discussions, the head of the Azerbaijani Delegation to PACE, Samad Seyidov, called an attempt to change the PACE internal procedure not for the sake of the organization’s future, but for the purpose of punishing certain people a ‘witch hunt’.
He reaffirmed Azerbaijan’s support for reforms within PACE.
“The Azerbaijani delegation has always support reforms within PACE. However, the reforms should be aimed at restoring the Assembly’s reputation,” Seyidov said.
He went on to say: “But here there is a strange approach. When PACE member René Rouquet paid an illegal visit to the Nagorno-Karabakh, occupied by Armenia and not recognized by the international community, when some Assembly members visited the Crimea, no one opposed it and stated that such steps undermine the organization’s reputation. That is, there were such facts in the past. We must recognize that the change in the PACE internal procedure is not done in the name of reforms, but is aimed against a specific person.”
Following the discussions, the report was adopted by 154 votes to 30, with 13 abstentions.
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