"IF ARMENIA FULFILLS COUNCIL OF EUROPE DEMANDS, IT WILL CEASE TO BE A SOVEREIGN STATE," RPA DEPUTY SAYS

Noyan Tapan

Jan 14, 2008

YEREVAN, JANUARY 14, NOYAN TAPAN. The demands of the PACE resolutions
create slave conditions for Armenia. Rafik Petrosian, a deputy of
the RA National Assembly RPA faction, stated at the January 14 press
conference adding that by fulfilling those resolutions’ points and, in
particular, the "demand to release the arrested opposition activists,
Armenia will cease to be a sovereign state."

"Today PACE exceeds its functions by intervening in our judicial
power’s activity and demanding releasing the arrested persons,"
R. Petrosian said.

He did not exclude that so as not to lose its own sovereignty one day
Armenia will come out of the Council of Europe. Meanwhile R. Petrosian
said that being deprived of the vote Armenia will lose its rating
and "they will start looking at Armenia’s delegation as a delegation
being equal to nothing."

Touching upon the activity of members of Armenian delegation in PACE,
he said that the latters do not resist Assembly’s decisions. "Our
delegates do not publicly state that with the threat of sanctions
addressed to Armenia the Council of Europe uses double standards,"
R. Petrosian said. According to him, the delegation members with the
exception of Armen Rustamian work badly and should be replaced.

According to R. Petrosian’s estimation, the Zharangutiun opposition
faction also works very badly. According to him, besides criticizing
and bothering it does nothing and does no good to NA.