Azerbaijan refuses to join paragraph on Belarus in declaration of EaP summit

Azerbaijan has not joined a paragraph of the declaration regarding Belarus adopted at the 6th summit of the European Union's Eastern Partnership program, Report informs.

At the end of the meeting in Brussels, Belgium, the leaders of the European Union and the Eastern Partnership countries signed a joint document.

The document contains a separate paragraph on Belarus. Azerbaijan did not join the declaration's paragraph on Belarus's internal affairs. Thus, Azerbaijan has once again demonstrated that respect for countries' sovereignty and non-interference in their internal affairs is a red line for it. Azerbaijan does not accept a politicized approach to human rights, humanitarian issues, and double standards. Azerbaijan never leaves its friends in the lurch.

Established in 2009, the European Union's Eastern Partnership program includes Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia, Moldova, and Belarus. Official Minsk suspended its participation in the program on June 28, retaining its membership. Ukraine, Georgia, and Moldova signed a memorandum on May 17 in Kyiv, Ukraine, to establish an "Associated Trio" to express their determination and will to join the EU.