AZG Armenian Daily #119, 29/06/2005
Armenia-CE
KOCHARIAN GIVES IN TO COUNCIL OF EUROPE
Referendum and Elections in November May Turn into a Trail for Armenia and
Azeri Presidents
At a joint press conference with Armenian foreign minister yesterday,
Germany’s permanent representative to the Council of Europe, Roland
Wegener, stated that progress is looming in all 3 spheres of Armenia’s
obligations to the CE — balancing the authority of executive and
legislative powers, reforming jural system and establishing electoral
system for Yerevan mayor.
Ago group and monitoring group of PACE are the ones that monitor
obligations Armenia assumed. Wegener, chairman in office of Ago
group met with Armenian President, parliament speaker as well as the
ministers of foreign affairs and justice.
In fact, President Kocharian and the ruling coalition are making
concessions exposed to pressure from the CE. If in the past the
Armenian authorities used to resist particularly in the issue
of elective mayoralty, then they are surrendering in the last few
weeks. The European structures, the CE above all, watching developments
in Armenia and Azerbaijan are giving clear signals that the referendum
and parliamentary elections launching in the countries will be in
the focus of their attention.
“Primarily, we need to make sure that the participating states meet
the standards of the CE in the spheres of democracy, human rights and
rule of law. For that reason, we take the South Caucasian region in our
spotlight for the time being. We believe important the developments
connected with referendum on Armenian constitution and parliamentary
elections in Azerbaijan”, head of the Committee of Minister of the
CE Amaral stated lately.
Wegener also stated yesterday that it is desirable that the
constitutional reforms win the favor of the majority in the parliament
and the opposition by the beginning of second hearings in August. That
will mark, Wegener put it, a new page in the democratic process in
the country. The envoy also noted that the referendum in fall should
be a turning point on this road.
Wegener also talked of Nagorno Karabakh issue. While joining the
Council of Europe in 2001, Armenia and Azerbaijan undertook obligation
to settle the conflict only peacefully. Wegener said that he is
acquainted with the details of the talk process but there are key
points over which the sides are failing to agree.
Vartan Oskanian confirmed that he had an unofficial meeting with his
Azeri counterpart in Brussels on June 22 and labeled the meeting
“very useful”. Foreign minister repeated that he and Mamediarov
came to an agreement in Paris over one issue not accounting small
points. Oskanian did not unveil the issue that the sides agreed on
but expressed hope that it will be settled and after that they will
pass on to other issue of the conflict.
The foreign minister does not expect new tasks from the OSCE Minsk
group co-chairs arriving in the region on July 11-16. He noted that
they are conducting talks over all the suggestions that are on the
table. And if the sides reach a consensus, Oskanian said, they will
easily jot it down.
By Tatoul Hakobian