JEAN-LOURIS LAURENS: “WE HOPE THAT PROGRESS WILL BE FIXED IN ARMENIA DURING NEXT ELECTIONS”

Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
May 05 2006

YEREVAN, MAY 5, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. Five years of Armenia’s
membership to the Council of Europe – it’s a good reason to estimate
all achievements on this way. Jean-Louris Laurens, the Director
General of Political Affairs of the Council of Europe stated about
it. According to his estimation, repeal of the death penalty in Armenia
and reformation of the Constitution of the country became a great
achievement. He estimated positive Armenia’s adoption of few dozens
of laws and legislative acts, corresponding to demands of the Council
of Europe. According to Jean-Louris Laurens, at present the Council
of Europe and the European Union lead negotiations on widening the
cooperation, thus, among the 46 countries of the Council of Europe
and the 25 members of the European Union. According to Jean-Louris
Laurens, in this sense, the role of the Council of Europe is getting
great in implementation of the “New Neighborhood Policy.” Besides,
deepening of the cooperation with the European Union passes through
the way of cooperation with the Council of Europe: “This circumstance
shows that the way to Europe is single.” Jean-Louris Laurens stated
that the Council of Europe attaches great importance to holding
free and democratic elections and connected with it, is going to
concentrate its attention to holding the coming elections in Armenia:
“We hope that a progress will be fixed in Armenia during the next
elections. Free and just elections must be held, and the people’s will
must not be flouted.” Responding to journalists’ question about the
issue that the Council of Europe is not successive in its own demands,
and that the CE observers’ delegation displayed its position rather
clear after the falsifications in the November 27 referendum, the CE
representative said that Armenia is not the only country among the
CE members which has similar problems. To avoid problems during the
coming elections, the CE is going to beforehand start corresponding
work with state structures of Armenia.