MEP demands clarification about EU trade relations with Azerbaijan

ArmInfo. The European  Commission continues to label Azerbaijan as a reliable EU trading  partner. On June 5, 2024, Cristina Lobillo Borrero, Director of  Energy Policy at the European Commission, reportedly stated at the  Baku Energy Forum that Azerbaijan is a very reliable partner for the  EU so that the EU is not dependent on Russian gas. On June 13, 2024,  Enrique Mora, Deputy Secretary General of the European Diplomatic  Service, emphasized that Azerbaijan is a valuable and reliable  partner of the EU. He stated this at a security dialogue between the  EU and Azerbaijan.

Following these statements, Bert-Jan Ruissen, Member of the European  Parliament on behalf of the SGP, asked these written questions to the  EU foreign policy chief:

1. Does the European Union regard Azerbaijan as a normal partner for  the EU in all respects, taking into account the hundreds of political  prisoners, dozens of Armenian hostages, the mocking of the EU by  senior officials in Baku, the threats against the members of the  European Parliament and EU observers, the close ties with Russia, the  authoritarian nature of the country, the poor human rights record,  the ethnic cleansing of Nagorno-Karabakh in September 2023 and the  occupation of the territory of Armenia and the threats against the  Armenian government?

2. Are there limits to the EU's policy of reconciliation with the  regime in Baku?

3. How reliable are reports that Russian gas is being smuggled to the  EU via Azerbaijan?