OUR REPLY TO THE AMERICANS
Hakob Badalyan

Lragir.am
08 June 06

We have not given it but we will do soon, stated Foreign Minister
Vardan Oskanyan June 8. It will be a response to the U.S. State
Department Trafficking in Persons Report 2005, where Armenia was given
a rather harsh and critical evaluation. Our country was referred to
as a source, and officials are accused of insufficient efforts to
combat trafficking and even assistance in trafficking.

“There will be a top-level consultation. We will be trying to give
an evaluation. I can state the fact, mentioned in this report, that
the government of Armenia is making significant efforts against this
problem,” says Vardan Oskanyan. According to him, significant efforts
are made for prevention, protection of victims and prosecution.

Perhaps the problem is so serious that Vardan Oskanyan does not refer
the harsh wording of the report to translation mistakes like with
the trafficking in drugs report. This time Oskanyan did not blame the
translation, but this he, in fact, assumes guilt and states things,
which are not found in the report, moreover, the report states the
contrary. The U.S. Department of State, particularly John Miller,
the head of the Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking accuse the
Armenian government of failure to comply with the minimum standards
for the elimination of trafficking, to show evidence of increasing
efforts to combat trafficking, insufficient protection of victims,
and investigation or prosecution, including government officials.

Hence, Americans said one thing, Oskanyan said another thing.

“In fact, the government is making significant efforts to tackle
this problem,” says Vardan Oskanyan. In fact, Vardan Oskanyan and
the Americans have different ideas of both English and significant
efforts to eliminate trafficking. However, there is a difference in
notions within our country too. For instance, Vardan Oskanyan says the
problem of trafficking exists in Armenia, and it is not a secret to
anybody. In the meantime, it is not a secret that Davit Harutiunyan,
the minister of justice, has a different notion of this issue. The
minister of justice announced that there are cases of trafficking
in Armenia but as a phenomenon trafficking is exaggerated. At the
same time, the government of Armenia, which points to the absence of
significant efforts and even such a phenomenon, takes the American
money with great pleasure to combat trafficking. For instance,
the Procuracy signed an agreement with the United States several
months ago, and received the recurrent amount of dollars to prevent
trafficking in persons. Evidently, however, the Americans do not
know everything or the whole truth. Before giving the money they
should have found out that the Procuracy might be more interested
in trade in seedling rather than persons for clear reasons. In that
case, the U.S. State Department would not complain that the money for
combating corruption is not spent efficiently. On the other hand, it is
interesting to know how Armenia is going to respond to the U.S. State
Department report. A harsh reaction means that we will not be getting
money in the future. A mild reaction means admitting the guilt. There
cannot be anything in between. The Armenian government has to solve
this complicated problem. However, our officials are experienced in
solving complicated problems, and this time too, they are sure to find
a way out. Although it is possible that the way out will find them.