ARMENIAN MPs PARTICIPATE IN DISCUSSION OF KOSOVO PROBLEM AT PACE SESSION

Noyan Tapan
Jan 24, 2008

STRASBOURG, JANUARY 24, NOYAN TAPAN. The first part of the PACE
session started on January 21. The RA National Assembly’s delegation
composed of Davit Harutyunian, Avet Adonts, Raffi Hovannisian and
Vahe Hovhannisian are taking part in the session.

According to the press service of the RA National Assembly, based on
the agreement reached by the PACE political groups, Luis Maria de Puig
(Spain) was elected as new president of the PACE. In accordance with
the rotation order of the PACE vice presidents’ election, the head
of the Armenian delegation Davit Harutyunian will be invluded in the
PACE Bureau in 2008 (the total number of vice presidents is 20).

Lord Russel-Johnston’s report on the future status of Kosovo was on
the January 22 agenda of the PACE session. In his speech concerning
the report, Raffi Hovannisian expressed his disagreement with the
rapporteur’s idea that Kosovo may not establish a precedent for
resolution of other conflicts. In his words, the constitutional and
legal bases of Nagorno Karabakh are indisputable. R. Hovannisan called
on the say "no" to the use of multiple standards and "yes" to the
pivotal principles stated in the report, underlining the necessity for
relation of democratic standards and political status. Avet Adonts
pointed out in his speech that all conflicts are unique by their
nature, require specific solution and may not be a precedent for
other conflicts. Conflicts should be settled based on international
law, without using double standards. He also spoke about the opinions
expressed in the speech of the Azerbaijani delegation’s member Ganira
Pashaeva and the parallels with the Nagorno Karabakh conflict indicated
by her, saying that G. Pashaeva’s views have no relation with the
Nagorno Karabakh conflict and the Kosovo problem should not become
a subject of speculation in discussion of other conflicts.

Raffi Hovannisian was elected a member of the PACE Monitoring Committee
by the European People’s Party (EPP) group. As a result, Armenia will
be represented by three members in the committee.