BRITISH EMBASSY IN YEREVAN DISMAYED AT CLANDESTINE RECORDING OF CONVERSATION BETWEEN ITS OFFICIAL AND THE LEADER OF AN OPPOSITION PARTY
Arminfo
2007-04-26 13:16:00
"The British Embassy in Yerevan is dismayed that a clandestine
recording has been made, and recently released in part to the press,
of a conversation between an official of this Embassy and the leader
of an opposition party," says the press release of the British
Embassy following the series of articles in the Golos Armenii daily
giving excerpts from a recorded conversation between the leader of
the Orinats Yerkir party Artur Bagdassaryan and the British vice
ambassador Richard Hide.
The Embassy says: "We do not propose to comment in detail on the
gross misrepresentation of a conversation, details of which appear
to have been obtained through dishonest and deplorable means.
Along with the OSCE, European Union, Council of Europe, the diplomatic
community and others, the Embassy is interested in seeing elections
on 12 May that conform to international standards. In this context
the Embassy maintains a wide range of contacts and dialogues with
institutions and individuals across the political spectrum in Armenia,
in order to be informed of all shades of political opinion. This
enables us to form as complete and objective a view as possible of
the political process, and is in line with the normal and accepted
practice of any embassy anywhere in the world.
As a member state of the EU, we wholeheartedly support the commitment
shared by the EU and Armenia in the European Neighbourhood Policy
Action Plan to work together to strengthen democratic institutions,
and respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, and we
welcome Armenia’s democratic achievements so far. In that context,
our objective will remain to do what we can to support and promote
effectiveness in the performance of democratic institutions and
processes in the country. It is not, never has been and cannot be,
our business to support the political platform of any specific
political party."