EU’s Prodi visits Azerbaijan, calls for more democracy

Associated Press Worldstream
September 17, 2004 Friday

BAKU, Azerbaijan — European Commission President Romano Prodi on
Friday urged Azerbaijan to conduct democratic reforms that would give
more say to the opposition.

Speaking at a news conference after his talks with Azerbaijani
President Ilham Aliev and other officials, Prodi said that they
discussed “the need for a vital democracy in the country.”

“Such a democracy requires a meaningful role for the opposition,”
Prodi said.

Prodi said that the EU has voiced its dissatisfaction with the latest
elections in Azerbaijan, as well as in two other ex-Soviet Caucasus
nations, Armenia and Georgia.

“It’s of vital importance that Azerbaijan makes clear reform steps
in the months ahead – reforms of democracy, human rights, the rule
of law, the market economy and conflict settlement,” Prodi said.

Aliev, the son of the late President Geidar Aliev, won last October’s
election by a wide margin, according to official results. Opposition
supporters and international observers said the election was marred
with fraud.

The vote sparked riots in which about 3,000 protesters tore through
the capital, Baku; one person died and dozens were injured. Hundreds
of people were detained, and more than 120 have been convicted.

Prodi said he also discussed prospects for a political settlement
of the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh, an ethnic Armenian enclave
within Azerbaijan, which has been de-facto independent since its
Armenia-backed forces drove out Azerbaijan’s military in 1994.

After visiting Azerbaijan, Prodi is set to head to Georgia and then
Armenia. The three Caucasus nations have been included in the EU’s
Neighborhood Policy.