VARTAN OSKANIAN URGED ALL POLITICAL FORCES OF ARMENIA TO REFRAIN FROM TEMPTATION TO TRY TO GAIN VICTORY DURING ELECTIONS BY MEANS OF DESTABILIZATION OF SITUATION IN THE COUNTRY

Mediamax
January 9, 2008

Yerevan /Mediamax/. Armenian Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian urged
all the political forces of Armenia today to refrain from temptation
to try to gain victory during the presidential elections of February
19 by means of destabilization of the situation in the country.

At that, Mediamax reports, speaking at a news conference in Yerevan
today, Vartan Oskanian stated that he considers "unacceptable" any
efforts to destabilize the situation to reach political goals.

"The forces, which strive to preserve power, or to come to power,
should use exclusively democratic tools and mechanisms", Vartan
Oskanian stressed.

Answering the question whether Armenia should count on the "indulgence"
of the international community, analogous to the one, which was
demonstrated as concerning the presidential elections in Georgia on
January 5, the Foreign Minister stated:

"Our task must be to hold free and fair elections without looking
at anybody".

Vartan Oskanian expressed confidence that if the presidential elections
are held at a higher level, than the parliamentary elections of 2007,
"the following 5 years will be years of upsurge for Armenia".

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress