(MENAFN- Trend News Agency) BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 3. The EU is swimming
in troubled waters and must urgently review all the rules that
govern its relations with pressure groups and shadow lobbyists,
Sebastien Boussois, Doctor in political science and specialist in
the Middle East, said in his article in Le Vif, a French language
weekly news magazine published in Brussels, Belgium, trend reports.
According to the expert, the impact of corruption in all EU
member states still amounts to 1 trillion euros per year.
He reminded the case of Vice-President of the European
Parliament, Eva Kaili, who is currently facing charges for bribes
she received from the Armenian lobby.
'For years, the former Greek television presenter, according to
private sources in Brussels, would have acted on behalf of other
countries including Armenia and its powerful lobbying,' Boussois
said.
Moreover, as he noted in his article, on November 19, a group of
parliamentarians signed a declaration accusing Azerbaijan of having
committed 'an aggression against Armenia' and of having 'violated
its territorial integrity'.
'The 33 signatories, including Eva Kaïli, are members of the
European Parliament's friendship group with Armenia, closely linked
to the largest pro-Armenian organization in Europe, EAFJD (Armenian
Federation for Justice and Democracy) financed by the millionaire
Kaspar Karampetyan', who is, as Boussois mentioned, 'well known in
Belgium for his rather opaque business in the diamond business, in
particular for his illegal import and certification of minerals
from African conflict zones to Europe'.
'According to other private sources, part of the millionaire's
resources were used to support the armed action of the Karabakh
separatists, the very ones who had occupied the region since 1992,
contrary to international law,' he added.
Some are already talking about the upcoming 'Kaspargate' when
speaking of diamond smugglers lobbying European institutions. The
Europe-Armenia Friendship Group and its relationship with this man
will need to be further investigated soon, the expert noted.
'This has been going on for years, without any real sanctions
being applied to punish those responsible. The opaque relations
that unite the Europe-Armenia friendship group, the individuals who
run it, such as the relations with the businessman Karampetyan are
the new best example,' Boussois said.
According to the French analyst, this scandal reveals that
Europe is not infallible and must reform itself urgently, and
precisely in the name of its ideals, it must set up a much stricter
control in its relations with lobbying.
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