Round table on fight against corruption arranged in Baku

"Azerbaijan's Commitments to the Council of Europe: the Law on Corruption" - this was a subject matter of the round table discussion arranged by the Federation of Human Rights Organizations of Azerbaijan and the Heinrich Boell Foundation in the ISR-Plaza Hotel (Baku, Azerbaijan) on May 17. Deputies of Milli Majlis [the parliament of Azerbaijan], representatives of local non-governmental organizations, opposition parties, international organizations and embassies took part in it.

Walter Kaufmann, a representative of the Heinrich Boell Foundation South Caucasus Regional Office, stressed that actions to fight corruption went beyond the adoption of the law. "It is essential that the situation in the country on the whole be liberalized, a reform of administrative organs, juridical and legal reforms be carried out, the separation of powers be clear, and civil society be built up," Mr Kaufmann said.

President of the Lawyers Association Annagi Gadjibeili noted that under the existing law on corruption it was impossible to fight this phenomenon.

Many participants underlined that the ruling regime in Azerbaijan would not fight corruption as it itself is completely corrupted and the new leader of the county has no political will to launch the fight against corruption.