The EU rolled out the red carpet treatment for Azerbaijan president Ilham Aliyev in Brussels on Tuesday (6 November) for the signing of a new energy pact, with European leaders predicting that increased trade will help raise human rights standards in Baku.
"We are creating a democratic society with strong rule of law and human rights as well as a strong economy," president Aliyev said. "For us this [EU cooperation] is an opportunity in the coming years to bring criteria in Azerbaijan ve...
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Andrew Rettman is EUobserver's foreign editor, writing about foreign and security issues since 2005. He is Polish, but grew up in the UK, and lives in Brussels. He has also written for The Guardian, The Times of London, and Intelligence Online.