U.S Dept of State
28 July 2005
U.S. Diplomat Highlights Work of OSCE Mission in Armenia
Constitutional reform, women’s issues, Melange disposal, corruption
American diplomat Paul W. Jones on July 28 praised the work of the
Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) mission in
Yerevan, Armenia, highlighting in particular its assistance on
constitutional and electoral reform and efforts to promote women’s
participation in local elections and in fighting corruption.
Addressing the OSCE Permanent Council in Vienna, Austria, Jones also praised
the OSCE office’s plan to eliminate Melange stockpiles in Armenia through
environmentally sound means.
Melange comprises the two component liquid propellants used for larger
Soviet rockets and guided missiles. The large quantities of Melange stored
on the territory of the former republics of the Soviet Union pose a serious
disposal problem because they are extremely active, easily evaporating and
highly toxic. The OSCE in partnership with NATO has held a series of
technical workshops on Melange.
Jones was responding to a report to the Permanent Council by OSCE Head of
Office in Yerevan Vladimir Pryakhin.
Following is the text of his statement as provided by the United States
Mission to the OSCE:
United States Mission to the OSCE
Vienna, Austria
July 28, 2005
RESPONSE TO THE OSCE HEAD OF OFFICE IN YEREVAN VLADIMIR PRYAKHIN
As delivered by Chargé d’Affaires Paul W. Jones to the Permanent Council
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
The United States also would like to welcome very warmly the Head of Office
in Yerevan, Ambassador Vladimir Pryakhin to the Permanent Council. We
deeply appreciate all the hard work you and your Office have done across all
dimensions of OSCE activities over the past seven months.
We wish to bring special attention to the Office in Yerevan’s assistance in
both the Constitutional and Election Reform Processes in Armenia.
On July 7, 2005, the government of Armenia submitted its revised
constitutional reform amendments to the Council of Europe’s Venice
Commission. The United States welcomes the Venice Commission’s agreement to
these amendments and looks forward to their adoption at the November
national referendum.
One highlight of these reforms is improved separation of powers between
branches of government. Another proposed amendment would create increased
plurality and independence of the media and develop a fairer system for
distribution of frequencies within Armenia. Such an act would be another
step forward for freedom of the media, and further strengthen Armenia’s
commitment to this OSCE principle.
We look to the Office in Armenia to facilitate this ongoing process,
including work to increase public knowledge about the referendum to aid its
success. The United States stands ready to assist in this effort.
Additionally, the Office in Yerevan continues to coordinate electoral
related issues. Its most recent success is the amended election code of May
19, 2005, which received expert input from ODIHR and the Venice Commission.
The United States looks forward to the good-faith implementation of these
reforms during the upcoming Autumn 2005 local elections and thereafter.
We welcome the Office’s continued efforts to promote women’s participation
in local elections. The Office’s recent program for 8th and 9th graders to
address the importance of women in society is innovative and
forward-thinking. The United States anticipates further developments in
this field.
The Office in Yerevan recently presented a plan to eliminate Melange
stockpiles in Armenia through environmentally sound means. After the
project’s planned completion next summer, the United States looks forward to
the project’s experts sharing their knowledge with other countries.
In May and June of 2005, the four members of the Armenian Ombudsman’s office
received intensive on-the-job training from Polish and Lithuanian
counterparts. On July 7, largely due to this professional training, the
Office of the Armenian Ombudsman unveiled the Government of Armenia’s first
Human Rights website. Adoption of the new constitutional reforms will make
this a permanent office within Armenia.
In the fight against corruption, the Office in Yerevan organized several
seminars. Some examples include a seminar to address the operations of
financial and economic institutions and another to address law enforcement
institutions. The United States notes the high attendance of government
officials at these seminars. Their attendance allowed direct dialogue
between state officials and civil society to promote openness and
transparency in the government.
The United States supports the Office’s economic and environmental work done
in the Syunik Region of Armenia. Of particular note is the Office’s new
initiative to assist small and medium-sized enterprises build capacity for
free market operations.
We would like to mention the Government of Armenia’s support for a new
project office in Kapan, the region’s capital. This project office will
help develop local ownership for the initiative. This is a good example of
the way the Government of Armenia supports the Office’s efforts in the
economic and environmental dimension.
Thank you, Ambassador Pryakhin, for speaking to us today, and for your
ongoing hard work on behalf of the OSCE. We wish you and your staff
continued success in Yerevan and look forward to your next report to the
Permanent Council.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
(Distributed by the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S.
Department of State. Web site: )