The Council of Europe (CE) wants to see more democratic Azerbaijan and will continue working both with this and with other countries of the region, Lluís Maria de Puig, the newly retired president of the CE Parliamentary Assembly, stated at a press conference on January 25.

“Our wish is that Azerbaijan should show itself a more democratic state meeting the CE’s standards,” Lluís Maria de Puig said. He pointed out that the CE is ready to render any assistance to Azerbaijan in this process. Summing up his work as PACE President, Lluís Maria de Puig pointed out that it was not easy, but he is satisfied with it.

The PACE ex-president also remembers many events especially the election of the CE Secretary General and “Georgian-Russian war.” Lluís Maria de Puig intends to continue working at PACE. He is a member of three PACE committees and calls on the newly elected PACE President to disseminate PACE’s values.

The Turkish Parliament member Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu was elected PACE President on January 25, 2010.

T.P.