“The European Union’s ‘quiet diplomacy’ just got much quieter… Remarkably, Brussels dragged its feet to inform the public of an upcoming visit by Azerbaijan president Ilham Aliyev, who is coming to town on Monday (6 February) to personally inaugurate negotiations on a new EU-Azerbaijan partnership agreement,”  writes Giorgi Gogia, Director for the South Caucasus, in his article published in the EU Observer.

According to the author, the lack of transparency in Baku is not a surprise any more. The Azerbaijani authorities are extremely hostile to their critics, opposition activists, journalists, and other dissidents.

" But the secrecy around the visit suggests that Baku’s deeply problematic approaches to transparency are rubbing off on the EU. Is the EU really so quick to set aside its own commitments to transparency and accountability? Apparently so. " writes the author.

As Gogia notes, the officials have been too secretive during a dozen official meetings in Brussels on January 26 and 27 about Aliev’s visit. “Once we understood it was in the works, and pressed for some, any, information, officials and diplomats flatly refused to share the date of the visit,” he said.

One of the diplomats even confessed, that the agreement about the information about the visit of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev will not come out of the holy walls of European foreign policy service. According to him, they learned about Aliyev’s visit last week only, after the agenda of the European Commission president had been updated.

" Does the EU fear publicity of Aliyev’s trip to Brussels and inevitable criticism of Azerbaijan’s human rights record and the EU’s failure in pressing for reforms? It may fear it, but that criticism would be well-earned,” considers Gogia.

In his viewpoint, the EU seems not to be much concerned about the criticism addressed to Azerbaijan in regard to the attacks on human rights defenders.  Instead, it manifests a great interest in receiving economic benefits from the relationship with Baku. “As EU officials quietly prepare to roll out the red carpet and treat the Azerbaijani strongman with fanfare, it should make sure that this deepening relationship is the one adhering to its own principles of ‘democracy, the rule of law, the universality and indivisibility of human rights and fundamental freedoms,’ as it committed to in all of its negotiations with third party countries,” concludes Gogia.