To Help The People Find Their Close Relatives

TO HELP THE PEOPLE FIND THEIR CLOSE RELATIVES

National Assembly of RA, Armenia
June 6 2006

On June 5, RA NA President Tigran Torosyan received Leo Platvoet,
Rapporteur of the PACE Committee for Migration, Refugees and Population
on the Missing Persons in Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan.

During the meeting issues concerning the preparing report as a result
of Mr. Platvoet’s regional visit were discussed. Tigran Torosyan, RA NA
President highlighted the discussion of the issue on the humanitarian
plane and keeping free from political interests, having the task to
help the people as much as possible to find out the fate of the their
close relatives during the war and those missing later.

Expressing satisfaction that Mr. Platvoet have also met the
representatives of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic, Mr. Torosyan proposed
to visit Nagorno Karabakh and set up a working group with trilateral
format from the representatives of Armenia, Azaerbaijan and Karabakh,
who working closely together could help the searches of the missing.

Agreeing with this proposal Mr. Platvoet noted that he designs in his
report to propose the sides to begin cooperation at the level of the
organizations being involved with these problems.

During the meeting the sides also touched upon the inter-parliamentary
relations of Armenia and Azerbaijan: NA President Tigran Torosyan
noted that Armenia is ready for cooperation and with different
formats the meetings in the international structures, within the
framework of South Caucasus parliamentary initiative are already
being carried out, as the creation of the favourable atmosphere for
the solutions of big problems with little steps, little solutions
is highlighted. Mr. Torosyan drew the guest’s attention to the fact
that, unfortunately, in the Azeri press false information is often
disseminated about the severe treatment conducted by the Armenians
towards the missing persons, which deepens the hatred, whereas the
PACE 1416 resolution calls on being free of campaigning hatred.

During the meeting the sides discussed other issues of bilateral
interest.