Armenia displeased with OSCE’s new decision-making rules – MP

Armenia displeased with OSCE’s new decision-making rules – MP

Arminfo
12 Jul 04

YEREVAN

The refusal of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly to adopt decisions on
the basis of a consensus can lead to the diktat of super powers in
this organization, which does not correspond to Armenia’s interests,
the head of the Armenian delegation in the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly
and deputy speaker of the Armenian National Assembly, Vaan Ovanesyan,
told a news conference today.

He said that the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly is gradually losing its
role in peace processes. “The main mission of the OSCE is to ensure
security, which now occupies a secondary place in the activities of
this organization. This organization has started to deal with issues
which, in principle, are not in the sphere of its activities,” the
deputy speaker stated.

Vaan Ovanesyan said that such organizations as the Parliamentary
Assembly of the Council of Europe [PACE] or the Parliamentary Assembly
of NATO are already claiming the role of the OSCE Parliamentary
Assembly. “Naturally, high-ranking officials of the OSCE Parliamentary
Assembly, who receive high salaries, are doing everything possible to
speed up the role of this organization in international
processes. This is the reason for the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly’s
proposal to give up decision-making on the basis of a consensus,” the
head of the Armenian delegation stated.

Vaan Ovanesyan also stressed that if the new rules of the OSCE
Parliamentary Assembly are unacceptable to Armenia, the republic will
have the right to suspend its membership of this organization.