Azerbaijani first deputy prosecutor general meets with Council of Europe delegation

A meeting was held between Gianluca Esposito, Director General of Human Rights and Rule of Law of the Council of Europe, who is on a visit to Azerbaijan, and Elchin Mammadov, First Deputy Prosecutor General, Prosecutor General's Office told Report.

As noted, Elchin Mammadov emphasized the importance of relations between Azerbaijan and the Council of Europe based on the principles of mutual respect and constructive cooperation, stating that dialogue and exchange of experience in areas of mutual interest, including the protection of human rights and freedoms, are beneficial.

It was noted that the General Prosecutor's Office of Azerbaijan attaches special importance to cooperation with the Council of Europe's relevant monitoring and expert mechanisms, including GRECO and MONEYVAL, and coordinated activities with relevant state bodies are being carried out towards the implementation of their recommendations.

It was also emphasized that the participation and speech of Gianluca Esposito at the high-level event on "Mobilizing Law Enforcement Agencies in the Fight Against Climate Change," organized by the General Prosecutor's Office within the framework of COP29, contributed to the development of cooperation between the two institutions.

Gianluca Esposito expressed his gratitude for the warm reception, noted the importance of existing cooperation between the Council of Europe and the General Prosecutor's Office of the Republic of Azerbaijan, and expressed their interest in continuing cooperation in areas of mutual interest.

He emphasized the importance of the General Prosecutor's Office functioning as a central authority within the framework of the European Convention on Extradition for the development of international legal cooperation, noting that the Convention remains relevant as one of the key international legal instruments in combating transnational crime.

During the meeting, the importance of international cooperation in combating terrorism, cybercrime, and other transnational crimes, as well as the application of modern legal mechanisms in the field of obtaining and exchanging electronic evidence, was emphasized. At the same time, an exchange of views was held on cooperation in the field of combating environmental crimes and initiatives undertaken by the General Prosecutor's Office in this direction.

The importance of cooperation with GRECO, MONEYVAL, CCPE, and other relevant platforms of the Council of Europe in terms of improving legislation, strengthening institutional capacity, as well as expanding the exchange of experience and information was also noted, and the readiness of the General Prosecutor's Office of the Republic of Azerbaijan to continue mutual activities within the framework of relevant cooperation mechanisms, including the T-CY Committee, was expressed.

Petr Zich, Head of the Council of Europe's Baku Office, also participated in the meeting.