AZG Armenian Daily, Armenia
Nov 17 2004
`NAGORNO KARABAKH CONFLICT CAN HAVE NO MILITARY SETTLEMENT`
YEREVAN, 17.11.04. Ago Group Isn`t That Satisfied with Armenia`s
Implementation of Its Commitments
On November 15, Ago Group, Monitoring Commission of CE Ministers`
Board, met with RA President Robert Kocharian, Foreign Minister
Vartan Oskanian, Chairman of National Assembly Artur Baghdasarian.
The commission is led by Roland Wegener, German ambassador to the
Council of Europe. The delegation includes CE ambassadors of Turkey,
Sweden and Switzerland.
In the course of the joint press conference with Vartan Oskanian,
touching upon the issue of Armenia`s commitments before the CE,
Wegener stated that `there is a progress, but we have noticed that
the most important issues, i.e. the constitutional reforms, the
electoral code, as well as the reforms in judicial sphere are yet to
be done.`
Two separate groups are carrying out the monitoring of Armenia`s
implementation of its commitments undertaken before the CE. These
groups are Ago group (led by Ago formerly) and PACE monitoring group
led by Yezhy Yaskernia.
Ago group also met with Tigran Torosian, head of RA delegation to
PACE, Deputy Chairman of RA National Assembly. The latter represented
the process of meeting the commitments before the CE and the schedule
of several laws` adoption. Torosian said that the Electoral Code was
adopted in the first reading, received the joint conclusion of Venice
Commission`s and OSCE experts. Almost all the 30 suggestions made in
that conclusion were adopted.
As for the constitutional reforms, Torosian said that three draft
laws are in circulation and sent to the Venice Commission experts for
expertise. Compared with the bill on constitutional reforms submitted
for referendum in 2003, the new bills will pass three readings in the
parliament. It is envisaged that the referendum for constitutional
reforms will be held in June of 2005.
Wegener said during the press conference that he discussed Nagorno
Karabakh issue with RA President and RA Foreign Minister, taking into
consideration Armenia`s and Azerbaijan`s promise to settle the
conflict in peaceful way as soon as they are CE members. Wegener
stated that he had the impression that the sides in conflict are for
peaceful solution.
`Karabakh conflict can have no military settlement`, Oskanian said.
As for the militant statements made by Baku, RA Foreign Minister said
that they might have merely a propaganda impact on the publicity.
Touching upon Baku`s efforts to include the issue of `Azerbaijan`s
Occupied Territories` into the agenda of the UN General Assembly, RA
Foreign Minister said that Azerbaijan has chosen the wrong path.
Azerbaijan made the wrong choice and will face the results of that,
Oskanian emphasized. In the end of the past week Oskanian
participated in the sitting of CSTO Ministers` Board. In his speech
he criticized Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzia, two members of the
organization that voted for Azerbaijan at the UN General Assembly.
Oskanian emphasized the importance of fact that OSCE Minsk group and
the EU member-countries voted against Azerbaijan`s initiative. As for
the countries that voted for Azerbaijan`s suggestion (43 of 191 UN
countries), according to Oskanian, these countries voted against the
peaceful settlement of Nagorno Karabakh conflict.
AZG Armenian Daily