COUNCIL OF EUROPE OFFICIAL EXPRESSES CONCERN WITH PROCESS OF FULFILLMENT OF PACE RESOLUTIONS

Noyan Tapan

Se p 11, 2008

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 11, NOYAN TAPAN. On September 11, Claudia Luciani,
the Council of Europe Director for Issues of Political Consultation
and Cooperation, introduced Silvia Zehe, the newly appointed Special
Representative of Council of Europe Secretary General, to RA NA
Speaker Tigran Torosian. According to the report provided to Noyan
Tapan by the RA NA Public Relations Department, T. Torosian expressed
readiness to assist S. Zehe to filfil her work successfully in Armenia.

The interlocutors touched upon Armenian-Turkish relations during
the meeting. Highly evaluating Turkish President’s visit to Armenia,
T. Torosian considered most important to undertake further practical
steps. According to him, it will take rather long to open the
Armenian-Turkish border, as the Turkish side indeed is not ready for
this step. And that is not only the problem of the Turkish side, but
also of international structures: in particular, no PACE resolution on
Turkey contained a point which called for opening the border between
the two country-members of Council of Europe. And if the European
structures follow exact principles and are consistent in the respect
of fulfillment of their resolutions, quite another situation will be
formed in the region, in particular, in Armenian-Azeri relations.

In that respect T. Torosian said that joining PACE in 2001, Armenia and
Azerbaijan assumed some commitments, including peaceful settlement of
the Nagorno Karabakh conflict. However, agitation of hatred towards
its enemy and abrupt increase of military expenditures continue in
Azerbaijan, which contradicts the commitments assumed by it, but PACE
does nothing more besides general appeals of establishment of peace
and propaganda of war.

While, being the most important European structure, PACE should
adopt more consistent position, a position of principle, which will
contribute to establishment of peace and settlement of conflicts in
the region.

The NA Speaker also touched upon the bill On Making an Amendment to
the RA Law On Television and Radio, which, as C. Luciani evaluated it,
was adopted very hastily without European expertise. According to
the Council of Europe official, it was not a step in the direction
of fulfillment of PACE resolutions but a regress, which means that
the RA government and National Assembly have not taken seriously the
proposals of the PACE resolution. C. Luciani also expressed concern
with the process of local self-government elections.

Sharing her concern, T. Torosian classed the coming four months as
important time for Armenia for correcting the situation by solving the
accumulated problems. From this point of view he attached importance
to cooperation with PACE mentioning that fulfillment of Resolutions
N 1609 and 1620 is first of all necessary for Armenia.