Azerbaijan Bans Entry for Several Dozen PACE Members Ahead of COP29

Azerbaijan has banned entry for several dozen members of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) ahead of the COP29 climate summit. Baku explained that these members voted in favor of limiting Azerbaijan's delegation powers in the PACE.

The Azerbaijani Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that 76 politicians from 26 European countries would be denied entry into the country. This decision was made following a vote in January within the PACE, resulting in Azerbaijan losing its voting rights in 2024.

Frank Schwabe, head of the German delegation in PACE and a Social Democrat, stated that Azerbaijan has not fulfilled its obligations before the PACE. Baku has also faced criticism for the arrest of activists and journalists in the fall of 2023.

Schwabe applied to participate in COP29 as a member of the German delegation but was informed that, like all other members who voted in favor of the PACE resolution, he had been declared an “unwanted person” in Azerbaijan.

Markus Wihler, president of the Swedish delegation in PACE, told Blankspot that he was not surprised by Azerbaijan's decision. “This was entirely expected and unavoidable. I have long been critical of Azerbaijan's dictatorship and its actions against Nagorno-Karabakh. I am glad that all current Swedes voted in favor, and I absolutely do not regret it,” Wihler said.

It should be noted that Ayhan Hacizade, a spokesperson for Azerbaijan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, stated that the entry of PACE members would remain banned until Azerbaijan’s delegation powers are fully restored within the organization.