Europe must not lose Azerbaijan: Oleksiy Goncharenko on the risks of confrontation between Baku and the Council of Europe

The Council of Europe must do everything possible to keep Azerbaijan within the organization. This warning was voiced in Strasbourg by Ukrainian MP Oleksiy Goncharenko, who became one of the few members of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe to openly oppose yet another resolution on Azerbaijan.

In a conversation with Minval Politika, the Ukrainian parliamentarian explained why he considers pressure on Baku to be a dead-end path, spoke about Azerbaijan’s geopolitical importance for Europe, and warned of the consequences of a further cooling of relations between the two sides.

Commenting on the adoption of another resolution concerning Azerbaijan, Goncharenko noted that he would not claim that the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe completely ignores the geopolitical consequences of its decisions. However, in his opinion, the very logic of such steps raises serious questions.

“I would not say that PACE ignores the geopolitical consequences. But adopting decisions that will predictably push a country away from the organization is not a human-rights instrument. The Council of Europe should be a space for dialogue, not a platform for one-sided verdicts,” he said.

According to the Ukrainian MP, European institutions must take into account not only political disagreements, but also the long-term consequences of their actions. History, he believes, has repeatedly shown that keeping states engaged in pan-European processes produces far greater results than a policy of isolation.

“History shows that engagement often provides more opportunities to promote democratic standards than isolation,” he said.

Speaking about the prospects for relations between Baku and the Council of Europe, Goncharenko emphasized that Azerbaijan is located in an extremely complex geopolitical environment, which makes its ties with Europe especially important.

“Azerbaijan is a country with a difficult geopolitical environment: on one side there is Russia with its insane regime, and on the other there is Iran. Under these conditions, the European perspective is very important for Azerbaijan,” the parliamentarian said.

According to him, Azerbaijan’s importance for Europe goes far beyond bilateral relations and is linked to broader issues of security and stability in the region. The Ukrainian politician compared Moscow’s approach to Azerbaijan and Ukraine, saying that Russia views both countries as part of its sphere of influence.

Goncharenko paid particular attention to the current stage of development in the South Caucasus. In his view, the region is now at an important point in its history, when, for the first time in many years, there is a real chance to achieve lasting peace between Azerbaijan and Armenia.

He stressed that it is precisely at such moments that European institutions should focus on cooperation and maintaining dialogue, rather than on measures that could deepen mutual mistrust.

“Today, the South Caucasus is at an important point in its history. A chance for lasting peace has emerged between Armenia and Azerbaijan. At such a moment, it is especially important for Europe to preserve dialogue and cooperation,” Goncharenko said.

Therefore, the Ukrainian MP believes that a further deterioration in relations between Azerbaijan and the Council of Europe would be a mistake whose consequences would affect not only Baku and Strasbourg, but the entire region.

“That is why I am convinced that a rupture or further cooling of relations is not in the interests of Azerbaijan, the Council of Europe, or regional stability as a whole,” he said.

Answering a question about what Europe itself should change in order to restore trust in relations with Azerbaijan, Goncharenko said that future cooperation should be built on the principles of pragmatism, mutual respect, and readiness for an open conversation even on the most difficult issues.

In his opinion, this approach serves the interests of both Azerbaijan and European states.

“I am convinced that the future of relations between Europe and Azerbaijan should be built on pragmatic cooperation, respect, and open dialogue. This is in the interests of both sides,” he said.

In conclusion, the Ukrainian parliamentarian emphasized that today the Council of Europe should be interested not in distancing Azerbaijan, but in preserving its presence within pan-European institutions.

“Therefore, the Council of Europe must do everything possible to keep Azerbaijan within the organization, especially now,” Goncharenko said.