OSCE/ODIHR OBSERVER MISSION WILL TRY TO ENSURE MAXIMAL TRANSPARENCY

Noyan Tapan
Jan 9, 2008

YEREVAN, JANUARY 9, NOYAN TAPAN. The Armenian foreign minister Vartan
Oskanian on January 9 received the delegation headed by Ambassador Dr.

Geert-Hinrich Ahrens, head of the OSCE/ODIHR (Office for Democratic
Institutions and Human Rights) observer mission which opened in
connection with the presidential elections to be held in Armenia on
February 19, 2008.

During the meeting V. Oskanian welcomed the ambassador, attaching
special importance to the implementation of their mission at the
elections of great importance to Armenia. He stated that it will
become a real assertion of the establishment of democracy in Armenia.

Ambassador Ahrens in his turn exprssed gratitude for the invitation
sent to the OSCE/ODIHR with the request to implement observer mission
and said that they will try to ensure maximal transparency, which
will give additional reliability and ojectivity to their activities
and opinions. According to him, the interest in Armenia is great:
28 long-term observers will come to Armenia, and 250 short-term
observers are expected to arrive from OSCE member states.

Vartan Oskanian wished the OSCE/ODIHR observer mission success and
restated the foreign ministry’s willingness to assist, within its
jurisdiction, the mission with its work.

According to a press release submitted to NT by the RA MFA Press and
Information Department, Ambassador Ahrens has considerable experience
of implementing OSCE/ODIHR observer missions: he headed such missions
during elections of various levels in Ukraine, Azerbaijan, Belarus,
Georgia and Serbia.