ADMINISTRATIVE RESOURCES SHOULD NOT BE USED
168 Zham
March 21 2009
Armenia
Parliament Speaker Hovik Abrahamyan received the US ambassador to
Armenia, Marie Yovanovitch, yesterday [20 March].
According to a press release issued by the parliament’s public
relations department, the US ambassador said: "If there is one
person who can eliminate the gap between political forces, improve
Armenian-Turkish relations and contribute to the peaceful settlement
of the Karabakh issue, it is President [Serzh] Sargsyan".
Yovanovitch said the US government believes the development of
democracy in Armenia is important. She pointed out in this context
that holding the upcoming May election of Yerevan’s city council in a
free and fair atmosphere is an important stage on the path to progress
in democracy. She expressed the hope that equal conditions will be
created for all participants, and that no administrative resources
will be used.
The parliament speaker also attached importance to holding a free and
fair election, saying that the parliament will do everything possible
to exclude violations and create equal opportunities for everyone,
the press release said.
At the meeting with Yovanovitch, Abrahamyan said he did not agree
with the assessment of Armenia in the US Department of State’s annual
report on human trafficking. In turn, the ambassador said that Armenia
is in the list’s second group of countries subject to control.
"Seeing positive work done by the Armenian authorities in this
direction, the ambassador will try to assist Armenia on the issue
of getting out of the control group," press the release of the
parliament’s information service said.
The Nagornyy Karabakh issue was also discussed. Abrahamyan attached
importance to the peaceful settlement of the issue in the framework of
the OSCE Minsk Group. Yovanovitch said the US position on the issue
has not changed: "The principles of non-use of force, territorial
integrity and the right to self-determination should be used".