DELEGATION OF AGO’S COMMISSION IS TROUBLED WITH POSSIBLE LIMITATION OF RA CITIZENS’ ACCESS TO INFORMATION

Noyan Tapan
Jul 03 2007

YEREVAN, JULY 3, NOYAN TAPAN. Vardan Oskanian, the RA Minister of
Foreign Affairs, received the delegation of Ago’s monitoring commission
of the Committee of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Council
of Europe headed by Perry Sjogren, the Ambassador of Sweden to the
Council of Europe.

Officials of the Secretariat of the Committee of EU Ministers,
the Ambassadors of Australia, France, Germany, Russia, Romania,
and Latvia to the Council of Europe are included in the delegation.

According to the message provided to Noyan Tapan by the Press and
Information Department of the RA Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Vardan
Oskanian gave a positive remark about the usefulness and productiveness
of the cooperation with Ago’s monitoring commission of the Committee
of the Ministers of the Council of Europe within the framework of
performing duties since the RA membership in the Council of Europe.

During the meeting the interlocutors also touched upon the current
negotiation stage of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, the results of the
May 12 parliamentary elections, and international remarks, as well as
preparatory issues of the forthcoming presidential elections. As for
the elections and the Electoral Code, the members of Ago’s group gave
a positive mark to the previous elections and attached importance to
the improvement processes of elections and electoral legislation.

Speaking about the free press, the Ambassadors to the Council of
Europe particularly stressed the RA government’s initiative concerning
amendments envisaged to make in the RA Law on "Television and Radio",
which is currently being discussed in the RA National Assembly. They
expressed their anxiousness with the fact that in case these amendments
are made, the free access of RA citizens to information may be
limited. The Ambassadors listened to Vardan Oskanian’s clarifications
and reaffirmed their request to the RA authorities to remain true to
the obligations assumed with regard to this issue.