Turkey’s PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who took office in March 2003, is set to make a speech Wednesday at PACE fall session in Strasbourg, France.{BR} Erdogan is expected to arrive in Strasbourg just by the time when report on Turkey-aspiring membership in the EU.

”Using the resolution Azerbaijanians again profiteered in NKR issue. Fortunately, we managed to alleviate it. But it doesn’t mean that we succeeded to hamper Azerbaijanians to introduce the document where Karabakh as well was represented as an occupied territory. Of course, it would be good if other territories weren’t represented as occupied territories, either but we didn’t...

”The report on Azerbaijan obviously shows that the state is far from democracy. Majority of the planks in the report were on numerous negative phenomena in Azerbaijan. That’s why the spokesman as well said that the speeches mainly run counter to the reality. The document is important and the report doesn’t give Azerbaijan occasion for delight”. Armenian delegation head Tigran...

Azerbaijanians did Mrs. Gyultekin Hajieva the honour of accusing Armenians. First Gyultekin Hajieva said in a gentle voice: “Spokesman criticized my state but one must not forget that many reforms were implemented in Azerbaijan”. {BR} When talking about Armenia Gyultekin Hajieva became stricter: “Armenians have occupied our territories and launched hostilities there, held elections,...

Turkish delegation representative in CE immediately referred to Karabakhi issue and said: “We must take into account that no progress in Karabakhi issue occurred during the membership period of Armenia to CE. Armenia keeps occupied 1/5 of Azerbaijan’s territory. We must not allow that Armenia – the CE member state, keeps the territory of another state occupied”. {BR}

”The political prisoners are the main problem of Azerbaijan. After the presidential elections no policeman was called to account for the violence committed towards Opposition representatives. Azerbaijan has no free and independent Mass Media. Press role must be increased”, PACE Spokesman on Azerbaijan Andreas Gross said. {BR} Other CE members mentioned corruption and infringement of human...

The ceremony for the accession of the Principality of Monaco to the Council of Europe took place this afternoon in Strasbourg, and was welcomed by the leaders of the Organisation. {BR} The Chairman of the Committee of Ministers, Norwegian Foreign Minister Jan Petersen, said: "With the accession of Monaco, the Council of Europe is closer than ever to the goal set up by its first Summit, in Vienna...

CE monitoring closed sitting ended in Strasburg. Implementation of Azerbaijan’s obligations was discussed there. Only Armen Rustamyan from the Armenian delegation had the right to partake in it since he is a monitoring group member. {BR} Mr. Rustamyan said that Azerbaijanians deviated from discussion of the resolution and again focused on NKR issue portraying Armenia as an occupant. Armen...

Jan Peterson, Secretary of CE Ministerial Board has made a speech. Mr. Peterson stated that he was anxious for the problems in 3 states of Southern Caucasus. The results of Ago Group monitoring served bases for Petersons’ alarm. {BR} He expressed hope that Ago Group will fix other results a week later. “The situation in Azerbaijan worries me. I welcome the amnesty President Heydar Aliev...

Our correspondent Viktoria Abrahamyan in Strasburg has just informed that discussion on Serbia is over during which the speech of Armenian delegation member Artashes Geghamyan was scheduled. In the speech Geghamyan was to speak about Armenia. {BR} According to our correspondent, Geghamyan was out of the hall during the discussion on Serbia. Only Armen Rustamyan, Chair of Armenian Parliament Committee...

Two Armenian lawmakers - Shavarsh Kocharyan and Hermine Naghdaryan - attended Monday PACE Liberal fraction meeting as members of the fraction.{BR} It became clear at the meeting that Azeri delegates intend to accuse Armenians of terrorism during Karabakh problem likely discussion at the PACE winter session, Shavarsh Kocharyan said in an interview with our correspondent. “I was concerned about...

Former Armenian president Levon Ter-Petrosyan was present at the reception held in National Art Gallery in connection with 83rd World Congress of AGBU, Armenian Benevolent Union.{BR} The first Armenian president attracted attention of those present at the reception. Foreign ambassadors exchanged words with him. Armenian premier Andranik Margaryan, Karabakhi president Arkadi Ghukassyan and others talked to him.

On October 25, Europe’s Armenians Assembly convened its annual session in Brussels, Belgium.{BR} Human Rights without Borders organisation chair Willy Fotre spoke on Armenian Genocide and Turkey’s EU Membership topic. He noted that without recognising the fact of Armenian genocide and respecting rights of ethnic minorities Turkey can’t join European fold.

The OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Bulgarian Foreign Minister Solomon Passy expressed Monday his concern about the holding of presidential elections yesterday by the Abkhaz leadership on the territory under its control.{BR} Minister Passy said that the Organization supported the territorial integrity of Georgia and did not recognize the independence of Abkhazia nor the elections held on 3 October. He...

On Monday, PACE chair Peter Schieder, speaking at a news conference in Strasbourg, criticized Russian president Vladimir Putin’s election reforms saying they didn’t correspond to democratic principles.{BR} According to Putin’s amendments to electoral code, provinces’ governors will no longer be elected. They’ll be appointed. Russian president sees the reforms as part of struggle against terrorism.

Azeri journalists asked the CE Secretary General Teri Davis about CE-Azeri relations after Azeri president Ilkham Aliev’s visit to CE.{BR} Davis said some changes are visible in Azerbaijan - a part of political prisoners are released. Works need to be continued. What for including Karabakhi issue in the PACE winter session agenda, Davis said he had completed his report on Karabakh. “New...

“I am not an expert in the media-related issues, but it is known that Armenia is now under monitoring and I expect to get due information about A1+ TV Company”, CE Secretary General Teri Davis said answering the question A1+’s correspondent put to him at a news conference held Monday in Strasbourg.{BR} He also said, in addition to the CE monitoring group. There is his Ago group,...

Official ceremony of Monaco entry in the CE is to be held Tuesday in Strasbourg, France. Monaco’s Prince Albert will arrive to Strasbourg to attend the ceremony.{BR} Monaco applied for joining the CE in 1998. It is remarkable that Monaco can become France’s territory unless Prince Albert marries in the nearest future.

On Monday, Nagorno-Karabakh Republic president Arkady Ghukassyan, speaking at the congress of AGBU, Armenian Benevolent Union, urged the delegates from 24 countries present at the event to keep providing humanitarian assistance to Karabakh, to implement new programs and establish businesses there.{BR} “We can’t exist long without investments made from the outside. We are in a grave state...

PACE chair Peter Schieder started his today’s news conference in Strasbourg by saying that all CE member countries, not only Russia, have to embark on the struggle against terrorism.{BR} Schieder said Russian-Georgian relations would be discussed Thursday at the PACE session at Georgia’s request. Georgian parliament speaker Nino Burdzanadze is expected to come to Strasbourg for that. Russian...

Before his today’s news conference, PACE chair Peter Schieder wasn’t aware of the fact that PACE Reporter on Armenia Yerzi Yaskernia was solving his private problems while fulfilling his mission in Armenia.{BR} Yaskernia’s book funded by Armenian National Assembly about the CE was published in Armenia at a time of the PACE-held monitoring in Armenia. Liberty radio station correspondent...

The CE Parliamentary Assembly is to open its session on Monday. Armenian delegation consisting of MPs from pro-governmental and opposition parties peacefully flew to Strasbourg aboard of the same airplane.{BR} The head of the delegation Tigran Torosyan and one member of the delegation Gurgen Arsenyan so far weren't seen. Has Armenia completely complied with the PACE demands listed in its resolution...

Russian presidential press service reports a telephone talk took place on Saturday between Russian president Vladimir Putin and Armenian president Robert Kocharyan.{BR} A number of issues and regional problems were discussed during the conversation, the source says. In connection with the phone talk, Regnum news agency reminds that Armenia found itself in extremely hard situation after closure...

“Measures on tightening border control aren’t taken against Armenia. I hope Armenian leadership will take with understanding the reasons that forced us to act that way”, Chair of Russia’s Federation Council of Federation Assembly Sergey Mironov, who is now in Armenia for his second visit, said Friday.{BR} During his visit he discussed with Armenian officials the closure of...