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Oskanian Says Council Of Europe Sanctions Unlikely

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  • Oskanian Says Council Of Europe Sanctions Unlikely

    Oskanian Says Council Of Europe Sanctions Unlikely
    By Gevorg Stamboltsian 04/06/2004 00:38

    Radio Free Europe, Czech Rep.
    June 4 2004

    Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian said on Thursday that the Council
    of Europe is unlikely to impose embarrassing political sanctions on
    Armenia despite its strong criticism of his government's crackdown
    on the opposition.

    In a resolution adopted on April 28, the pan-European organization's
    Parliamentary Assembly (PACE) threatened not to recognize the
    credentials of four Armenian members in September unless the
    authorities stop arresting opposition supporters and release all
    political prisoners. "I can dare say that there is no danger of
    that. I don't think that our deputies will be stripped of their
    voting rights," Oskanian said during a meeting with students at
    Yerevan State University. "I think that everything will be alright
    and we will continue our normal work there."

    "But in any case, a lot will depend on what kind of developments
    will take place by September. If, God forbid, such a thing happens
    it will definitely have a negative impact on our foreign policy and
    reputation in general," he added.

    The PACE resolution says that the Armenian authorities have until
    late June to "inform the Assembly of their findings and possible
    legal actions against people responsible" for human rights abuses
    reported during the crackdown. They were also told to lift "unjustified
    restrictions" on peaceful anti-government demonstrations and release
    all individuals arrested in connection with them.

    Two PACE rapporteurs are due to visit Armenia later this month ahead of
    the 45-nation assembly's next session in Strasbourg to assess progress
    in the implementation of its recommendations. The authorities say they
    have already taken meaningful steps to comply with the resolution. The
    Armenian opposition denies the claims, pointing to the continuing
    "administrative detentions" and imprisonment on criminal charges of
    its activists.

    The opposition has sought to portray the Council of Europe criticism as
    a major success in its campaign to oust President Robert Kocharian. The
    government, for its part, counters that the resolution did not endorse
    the opposition calls for a referendum of confidence in Kocharian and
    said that serious irregularities did not affect the official outcome
    of last year's presidential election.

    The opposition efforts to provoke international pressure on Yerevan
    was denounced by Kocharian this week as something "close to treason" of
    Armenian national interests. Oskanian echoed the charges on Thursday,
    saying that the continuing anti-Kocharian rallies hurt the country's
    international standing.

    "When I'm in Strasbourg, Brussels, New York, London or Paris and
    several thousand people gather in Freedom Square on the same day to
    call for regime change, believe me that our foreign policy becomes
    very inefficient," he said.

    From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
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