VERY COLD: WHAT DID PRESCOTT MEAN?
Lena Badeyan

"Radiolur
16.01.2009 17:55

"Very cold." This common expression acquired a diplomatic color in
Armenia yesterday due fto John Prescott, one of the co-rapporteurs
of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. This was the
only comment of the Monitorin Committee rapporteurs after the meetings
in Armenia. It turns out that Armenian Deputies have comprehended the
meaning of the expression in different ways. In any case, Deputies
are confident that the agenda of the meetings was very heavy and did
not have enough time to spend in the streets of Yerevan. Deputy of the
"Heritage" faction Anahit Bakhshyan saw ambiguity in the expression.

"I’m sure they were not cold. I’m sure that Mr. Prescott and Mr.

Colombier resided in the best and warmest hotel, and the matter is
not about physical cold. This ambiguous expression refers to making
us freeze.

Unfortunately, I’m afraid that after returning from Armenia they
will add more freezing points in their freezing report or resolution,
because thy saw that the requirements of PACE resolutions have not been
implemented. And the whole nation will feel the consequences of this
cold. Our citizens may freeze more than the authorities can imagine.

Member of the Orinats Yerkir faction Hovhannes Margaryan found it
hard to comment on John Prescott’s words.

"I don’t know why he said it. I will simply say that they gave no
interview after the meetings. I think making comments is the task
of journalists, they should try to require them to explain what
they meant."

Since the European diplomats left Armenia without any comment,
both the journalists and the politicians were closely watching their
faces. At last, part of the society came to the conclusion that they
left Armenia disappointed and angry. Mpp Viktor Dallakyan confessed
he attaches no importance to the expression on the diplomats’ faces.

"I do believe that diplomats should be able to hide their feelings,
and if we manage to make conclusions from the expression of their
faces, then they are bad diplomats. Anyway, I think that Armenia faces
a certain danger of being deprived of the right to vote. My opinion
is that if Armenia is deprived of the right to vote, it will have
negative consequences for our country’s international image. Secondly,
Azerbaijan may use the opportunity to have a number of anti-Armenian
decisions passed. I have that concern."