Baku, Trend.az, 14.11.2012 – Azerbaijani Deputy Foreign Minister Mahmud Mammadguliyev has received EU charge d’affaires in Azerbaijan Toralf Pilz, the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry said today.
A statement made by vice-president of the European Commission Neelie Kroes, who participated in the Internet governance forum in Baku, was discussed at the meeting.
Kroes’s statements at the forum, as well as in her personal blog about ensuring human rights and freedom of speech and press in Azerbaijan are wrong, Mammadguliyev said.
In this regard, the opposite side was informed about the Azerbaijani government’s dissatisfaction. It was stressed that such unfounded statements do not correspond to the spirit of cooperation between Azerbaijan and the EU and can harm the relations.
Azerbaijan is pursuing the reforms on democratization and ensuring human rights. It has achieved great success in this direction. The Azerbaijani government focuses on human rights, particularly freedom of speech and press. Over 60 percent of Azerbaijan’s population uses the Internet freely, which is an important way of ensuring freedom of speech. The Azerbaijani government pays special attention to the development of telecommunication technologies. In this regard, Azerbaijan is the initiator of such a large regional project, as the Trans-Eurasia Information Superhighway.
Pilz was informed about baseless allegations about the alleged interference in the computers of the aides accompanying Kroes.
It was stressed that one usually appeals to the relevant local bodies in such cases. The fact that Kroes did not do this causes a surprise.
Regarding the issue that Kroes was not allowed to enter the prison to meet with the prisoners, Mammadguliyev said that according to the legislation, the international organizations and representatives of foreign countries can meet with prisoners only with the consent of the Azerbaijani relevant bodies.
For example, Human Rights Commissioner of the Council of Europe Nils Muiznieks and OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Dunja Mijatovic met with several prisoners last week.
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