EXPECTATIONS FROM ARMENIA ARE GREAT BUT THEY WILL NOT RECOGNIZE
ELECTION OF KARABAKH

Lragir.am
05-07-2007 14:48:48

On July 4 the president of the PACE Rene van der Linden met with the
leadership of Armenia in Yerevan and held a news conference in the
evening. The president of the PACE was late for an hour and a half
because the meeting with the Armenian president lasted for about two
hours. Rene van der Linden congratulated the reporters for the
presidential election which was very much better than the previous
election and the shortcomings are to be taken into account in the next
election. First, however, Rene van der Linden apologized for being late
saying that the meeting with President Robert Kocharyan lasted longer.
However, van der Linden said he likes an honest and open talk.

The president of the PACE said he discussed with the president the
situation in Armenia, the role of the Council of Europe, as well as the
developments in Europe and in the region. According to him, Armenia’s
fulfillment of obligations assumed before the CoE is monitored. Armenia
assumed obligations and the PACE has great expectations from Armenia.
Rene van der Linden thinks there is no progress in Armenia’s relations
with neighbors. He means Turkey and Azerbaijan. However, the president
of the PACE gives general answers to the question on who is to blame.
He avoided telling that the lack of progress is due to the stiff stance
of the neighbors.

The president of the PACE touched upon the freedom of the media and the
recent events involving Radio Liberty. Rene van der Linden thinks the
media must be free and available for everyone, for all the political
forces, because in a democracy an independent judiciary and free media
are more important than elections. In Armenia Rene van der Linden
discussed the problem of Radio Liberty and A1 Plus, and says they must
be treated like all the other media. As to the new law on the media, he
thinks the opinion and recommendations of the Committee of Venice must
be taken into account.

The reporters asked Rene van der Linden’s opinion on the arrest of
Alexander Arzumanyan, Jirair Sefilyan and Vardan Malkhasyan. According
to most NGOs and political parties, they are persecuted and are
political prisoners. Rene van der Linden said if a country fulfills its
commitments to the Council of Europe, political prisoners are not an
acceptable thing. He said he would not go deep into these events but
the Council of Europe must scrutinize this issue.

Meanwhile, the speaker of the National Assembly Tigran Torosyan
repeated in the presence of the guest there are no political prisoners
in Armenia, and not every statement is sufficient to describe Alexander
Arzumanyan, Jirair Sefilyan and Vardan Malkhasyan as political
prisoners. According to Tigran Torosyan, charges were brought against
them, and evaluations must come after the investigation. For the time
being, it is necessary to urge law enforcers to carry out an unbiased
investigation. Tigran Torosyan also stated that political prisoners are
unacceptable in a country which is a member of the Council of Europe.
Rene van der Linden announced about another unacceptable thing. He said
the Council of Europe does not recognize the Nagorno-Karabakh
presidential election of July 19.