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08.03.08

Statement by PACE rapporteur John Prescott on his visit to Armenia

"Mr John Prescott, upon leaving Yerevan today after two days of meetings
with all parties to the present dispute, including the President Mr
Robert Kocharyan, the Prime Minister and President elect Mr Serghz
Sargsyan and former President and candidate Mr Levon Ter-Petrossyan,
called upon all to exercise restraint and respect for all individuals
involved in the dispute. "This is essential if we are to move to a
genuine and open dialogue. I am convinced that a solution can be found
for the present difficulties. This requires the recognition by all of
the Constitutional Court decision on the outcome of the Presidential
election; the removal of the state of emergency and the restoration of
individual political Human Rights and freedoms; and the establishment of
an independent inquiry into the circumstances of the events on 1 March
that tragically lead to the death of 8 individuals and many injured. I
intend to communicate next week to the President of the Parliamentary
Assembly of the Council of Europe in greater detail how the Assembly
could play an effective role in securing the resolution of this
conflict," Mr Prescott said.

Mr John Prescott met President Kocharyan, Prime Minister and President
elect Serghz Sargsyan, former President and candidate Levon
Ter-Petrossyan, Parliament Speaker Tigran Torosyan, the Chairman of the
Constitutional Court, The Human Rights Defender of Armenia, the Chairman
of the National delegation to PACE Mr Davit Harutyunyan, as well as
leading political figures and members of the civil society and
diplomatic community in Armenia.

The snap visit was organised upon request of the President of the
Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, Mr Luis Maria de Puig,
in co-operation with the Chairman of the National Delegation of Armenia
to PACE, following the declaration of emergency during last weekend’s
violence in which 8 people died. John Prescott will report next week to
the President of the Assembly on the findings of his mission and the
role that PACE could further play to a normalisation of the political
situation in Armenia."