Zeman says Azerbaijan is Eastern Partnership key part

Azeri media reported that parliament has suspended the country's membership of European inter-parliamentary institutions and made the above call on the government.

Parliament made the decision in reaction to a resolution the European Parliament (EP) approved last week and that criticises alleged human rights violations in Azerbaijan.

Azeri parliament said on Monday the EP resolution is "a proof of a systematic campaign aimed to denigrate Azerbaijan."

It said there is a hostile lobby in the EP that slanders Azerbaijan's leading politicians and supports the occupation of Nagorno Karabakh by neighbouring Armenia.

The Eastern Partnership project is also participated in by Armenia, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine.

Zeman said at a press conference he gave together with Aliyev the project has nothing in common with the EP resolution. He said the EP did not initiate it and it did not discuss it.

Aliyev told journalists that he does not consider the EP resolution meaningful and that it reflects the Armenian lobby's interests.