ARMENIA TO RETHINK MEMBERSHIP IF OSCE ABANDONS CONSENSUS RULE

Arminfo
12 Jul 04

YEREVAN

If the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly (PA) abandons the consensus
decision-making rule, this may result in the dictate of super powers
in the organization, which will not be in Armenia’s national
interests, the deputy speaker of the Armenian National Assembly (and
member of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation-Dashnaktsutyun), Vaan
Ovanesyan, told a press conference today.

The OSCE PA’s role in global processes is gradually diminishing, he
said. “The OSCE’s main mission – to ensure security – is now playing
a secondary role in the activities of this organization. The
organization has started to deal with issues which are, in principle,
outside its remit,” Ovanesyan said.

Organizations such as the parliamentary assemblies of the Council of
Europe and NATO are already making claims to the OSCE PA’s role, he
said. “It is natural that high-ranking officials in the OSCE PA, who
have high wages, are doing their best to intensify the organization’s
role in international processes. This is the reason behind the
proposal in the OSCE PA to abandon the principle of consensus
decision-making,” Ovanesyan said.

If the OSCE PA’s new rules are unacceptable to Armenia, the country
will be entitled to suspend its membership of the organization, he
said.