Azerbaijani Parliament speaker accuses European Parliament of exerting political pressure on country

Azerbaijani Milli Mejlis President Sahiba Gafarova has accused the European Parliament of using COP29, the U.N. climate conference, to be held in Baku on Nov. 11–22, as a weapon for exerting political pressure on the country.

“Climate change is a global problem, the solution of which requires unity. But this issue is used to advance an agenda directed against Azerbaijan,” Gafarova said at the plenary session of the legislative body.

To remind, the European Parliament adopted the resolution on “the situation in Azerbaijan, violations of human rights and international law, and relations with Armenia” by 453 votes to 31, with 89 abstentions. Thus, the European MPs reaffirmed their demand for the withdrawal of the Azerbaijani troops from the sovereign territory of Armenia. In the resolution, the forced displacement of Artsakh Armenians was directly described as ethnic cleansing. According to the adopted resolution, the members of the European Parliament strongly condemn the repression of the Azerbaijani authorities against the leaders of the opposition, journalists, and activists inside the country and abroad.