Aliyev criticized the European Parliament for its «preoccupation» with Azerbaijan and declared a halt in cooperation. In response, Metsola delivered a firm defense, stating: «Our approach will remain unchanged.»
On Monday, tensions escalated between Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev and European Parliament president Roberta Metsola during a high-level political conference in Armenia.
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Speaking to the European Political Community—a forum uniting EU leaders, neighboring states with common interests, and candidate nations—Aliyev accused the European Parliament of disseminating “defamation and falsehoods” about Azerbaijan.
Metsola, chairing the EU parliament, firmly denied these accusations during an unscheduled intervention, affirming, «We will not alter our methods,» even if they cause discomfort.
Before her remarks, Aliyev alleged that European Parliament members appear intent on “undermining” the peace initiative with Armenia, mediated by the US last year, which established diplomatic and economic agreements following the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. This deal ended nearly 40 years of hostilities.
He further noted that the Parliament has passed 14 resolutions critical of Azerbaijan, labeling this as a “form of fixation” on the nation.
Additionally, he announced that Azerbaijan’s legislature will suspend cooperation with the European Parliament in all domains.
Despite his parliamentary criticism, Aliyev praised the European Commission’s efforts to develop relations, as Brussels seeks to strengthen bilateral ties with Baku—an exporter of oil and gas—and to engage broadly with the South Caucasus region.
Metsola shortly responded, defending the Parliament’s function.
“The European Parliament is a democratically elected body,” she explained, “and its resolutions pass by majority vote. We recognize that certain outcomes may be unwelcome to some, but our working methods will not change.”
According to European Parliament insiders speaking to Euronews, Aliyev’s comments were unexpected, prompting Metsola to request the floor to clarify the Parliament’s position.
The European Political Community convened in Yerevan, Armenia, gathering leaders from nearly 50 European countries. The event is regarded as a platform to advance diplomatic ties between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
The upcoming EPC summit is scheduled to occur in Azerbaijan in May 2028.
Later on Monday, Aliyev is set to meet Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni in Baku, and on Tuesday, he will see EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas.
Azerbaijan suspends relations with European Parliament
The latest European Parliament resolution concerning Azerbaijan was approved last week in Strasbourg, concentrating largely on Armenia’s democratic resilience while voicing concerns regarding Baku.
The resolution advocated for the right of return for Armenians displaced in 2023 amid armed conflict over a disputed territory. It described Azerbaijan’s detention of Armenian prisoners of war as “unjust” and demanded their “immediate and unconditional release.”
The document also underlined that Armenians should receive «protection of their identity, property, and cultural heritage».
Earlier resolutions have raised similar issues, including criticism of Azerbaijan’s military operations in the area.
On Friday, Azerbaijan’s parliament passed a resolution through a special parliamentary commission formed to confront what it termed “hostile acts” against the country, responding to multiple critical European Parliament resolutions.
Hikmet Hajiyev, assistant to Azerbaijan’s President and head of the Foreign Policy Department in the Presidential Administration, condemned the European Parliament resolution as “a diplomatic failure and disgrace,” accusing its members of «hindering the peace process.»