ArmenPress
March 5 2005
ARMENIA WELCOMES EUROPEAN COMMISSION’S COUNTRY REPORT ON ARMENIA
YEREVAN, MARCH 5, ARMENPRESS: Armenian foreign ministry welcomed
Friday the European Commission’s March 2 detailed “country report” on
Armenia, describing progress toward reform. The so-called
neighborhood action plan outlines specific reforms the EU expects of
Armenia and details the advantages the bloc will offer in return.
“Armenia welcomes the EU Commission’s proposal to boost relations
with Armenia based on neighborhood action plan and expresses its
readiness to start its development right of the bat,” Hamlet
Gasparian, a foreign ministry spokesman, said to Armenpress.
Asked to comment on the US Department of State annual report on
human rights record of Armenia, Gasparian said the ministry has
studied it in detail. According to him, ” though the criticism
contained in the report is exaggerated and one-sided, it can serve as
a basis and a guideline for greater progress in the civil and human
rights sphere.”
He also described as “detailed and comprehensive” the report of
the OSCE fact-finding mission that visited the territories controlled
by the Nagorno Karabagh armed forces, to inspect Baku’s allegations
that they are being populated illegally by Armenian resettles.
“The OSCE fact-finding mission’s report will be officially
submitted to the OSCE Permanent Council in mid-March. We have been
given the chance to familiarize ourselves with this document. It is
detailed and comprehensive. We are confident that the publication of
this document will clarify some problems that have given rise to
speculations recently,” Gasparian said.