PACE SUMMER SESSION SET TO DISCUSS GEORGIA, ARMENIA, KOSOVO

RIA Novosti
June 23, 2008
Russia

The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe will discuss
a number of issues during its summer session June 23-27, including
Kosovo, Georgia’s elections, Azerbaijan and recent protests in Armenia.

Although Kosovo is expected to be the center of attention with
Serbian President Boris Tadic due to address the assembly on Thursday,
Armenia’s February presidential elections and the ensuing violence
and crackdown by the authorities on the opposition and public meetings
are planned for discussion in an urgent debate.

Ten people were killed, 265 injured and over 100 arrested in clashes
between police and opposition protesters in Yerevan March 1, when
protests turned violent following President Serzh Sarkisyan’s victory
in the February 19 presidential elections.

PACE co-rapporteurs, who visited Armenia June 16-17, said that
insufficient progress had been made in carrying out the EU’s demands
urging institutional reforms, less state interference in the media
and more rights for opposition groups.

Democratic institutions in Azerbaijan, protecting the environment
on the Caspian Sea and Georgia’s parliamentary elections are also on
the agenda at the Council of Europe meeting.

The head of the State Duma’s international affairs committee,
Konstantin Kosachyov, said "the report [on Georgia’s elections] will
be extremely hard-hitting for Georgia’s authorities," but failed to
elaborate further.

The five-day session could also see the Council of Europe discuss
a future report on the 1931-33 famine in the former Soviet Union
which affected millions of people in Ukraine, Kazakhstan and Belarus,
as well as Russia’s grain producing regions of the North Caucasus,
Urals, West Siberia and the Volga Region.

In April, during PACE’s spring session, the Assembly supported a move
by a number of Ukrainian politicians, that the famine or Holodomor
be considered an act of genocide against Ukrainians by the Soviet
authorities. Ukraine is planning to draft a document on the Holodomor.

Russia’s delegation, however, wants a joint document to all the
estimated 7 million victims of the famine following the brutal
introduction of collectivization by Soviet authorities. Europe has
given its approval for the drafting of a joint document, but Ukraine
is insisting the famine be considered as separate acts.

Kosachyov said: "A key decision to draft a joint document has been
made, but no decision as yet on the document’s title, and, more
importantly, on the authors."