MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF THE REPUBLIC OF ARMENIA
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PRESS AND INFORMATION DEPARTMENT
Government House # 2, Republic Square
Yerevan 0010, Republic of Armenia
Telephone: +37410. 544041 ext 202
Fax: +37410. 562543
Email: press@mfa.am

PRESS RELEASE

18-05-2006

Minister Oskanian participated at 116th session of the Council of Ministers
of the Council of Europe in Strasbourg

Minister of Foreign Affairs Vartan Oskanian is in Strasbourg to participate
in the 116th session of the Council of Ministers of the Council of Europe.

This marks the fifth year of Armenia’s Council of Europe membership, and the
first since the passage of the Constitutional Referendum which has made
possible the signing of the 13th Protocol of the European Convention of
Human Rights on abolition of the death penalty in all circumstances.

Minister Oskanian addressed the Council in French and spoke about democratic
processes, democratic reforms and in that context, he raised three issues:
He said, “First, even as there is a momentum the world over toward adopting
democratic processes which assure the development of free societies where
freedom of expression is an essential component of life, the Turkish
government has become more and more aggressive in denying the Armenian
Genocide abroad and criminalizing its discussion at home. As a result, there
is a natural response to such denial in some of our member countries, to
attempt to legislate against all denialist efforts. The irony is that the
Turkish government considers this a travesty of freedom of speech and
expression while sustaining their own right to punish their own citizens who
use the term.”

The Armenian Foreign Minister also addressed issues of human rights. “I can
only wish that the ideas and ideals of Europe came automatically with
membership. Perhaps then I would not be here today to mourn the
irreversible, irrational, intentional destruction of a medieval Armenian
cemetery on the territory of Azerbaijan. Thousands of massive, unique stone
sculptures which had survived through centuries are no longer there. A
cemetery has been wiped out and the hillside has been turned into a shooting
range. This destruction is a blatant attempt to wipe out traces of Armenian
presence on those lands.”

Finally, in addressing the Nagorno Karabakh conflict resolution, the
Minister said, “Upon membership, Armenia and Azerbaijan made a commitment to
see a peaceful resolution of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict. There are
positive elements in the negotiations process in which we have been involved
over these last several years, but that can produce results only if the
parties understand – and clearly declare – that they don’t have a military
option here. Europe offers a new context for negotiation, regional
cooperation and post-war reconciliation. This is the Europe – the place of
peace and cooperation – to which our two countries belong.”
In the framework of the Ministerial, Minister Oskanian met with Thomas
Hammarberg, the Commissioner for Human Rights of the Council of Europe.

On the evening preceding the Ministerial meeting, a special informal
gathering, hosted by Terry Davis, Secretary General of the Council of
Europe, featured former Finnish President Martti Ahtisaari, Special Envoy of
the UN SG for the Future Status Process for Kosovo.