ARMENIAN AUTHORITIES MUST CONTINUE DEMOCRATIC REFORMS IRRESPECTIVE OF PACE DECISION

ARKA
January 12.
YEREVAN

The Armenian authorities led by President Serge Sargsyan must continue
economic, political and democratic reforms irrespective of a decision
to be made by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe
(PACE). If Armenia is deprived of its vote at the Council of Europe,
it will have its consequences through not too serious ones, Eduard
Sharmazanov, Press Secretary of the Republican party of Armenia (RPA),
told reporters at the international press center Novosti. On December
17 the PACE Monitoring Committee proposed suspending the Armenian
delegation’s vote in connection with the investigation of the March
1-2 events in Yerevan. Sharmazanov pointed out that the RPA’s major
task is to implement programs in conformity with its election pledges.

"Democratic values have no alternative for us. We remain committed
to this position not to our European partners’ delight. We are well
aware that it is only the reforms that can improve the people’s
living conditions," he said. Speaking of the work already done by the
authorities to meet PACE-set requirements, Sharmazanov stressed that
President Serge Sargsyan has created "a quite positive" political
situation in Armenia. "Not only local experts, but also our foreign
partners, have talked about it. Condoleezza Rice said that Armenia
was progressing in political reforms," he said. Sharmazanov pointed
out further serious reforms in Armenia’s police, justice, taxation
and customs systems.