“Council of Europe is in need of perpetual problems because when today’s problems are solved, the CE will be left without work”, Russian politician Vladimir Zhirinovski said Friday in Strasbourg. “That’s why monitoring discussions are being held again and again, just as bad doctor makes wrong diagnosis every time, write recipes and is being paid and then it become clear...

He is convinced Russian troops’ withdrawal can trigger wide range of horrible troubles for Georgia from civil war to coups. Abkhazia is not willing to be under Georgia’s control. Abkhazians were always afraid of Georgians, he said. “I should say Caucasus republics are a great burden to us. We feed them, sell electric power at low prices”, Zhirinowski said. He expressed his...

Dmitri Rogozin, the newly elected Vice-speaker of Russian State Duma, who has been the head of the Russian delegation in PACE for years, will no longer continue his activity there. {BR} He thinks that henceforth atmosphere in PACE will be more calm than it was in 2000 when the Russian delegation left the session hall and, in fact, was in atte of conflict with CE. However, Rogozin has today referred...

“Actually this is Armenian-Azeri conflict. How could it be called if Azerbaijan occupies 20% of Armenia’s territory”, Azerbaijan’s representative in PACE Gajieva said Friday in Strasbourg. In her opinion, the CE is that very organization that has to solve the issue. “I respect the speaker and wish luck to Armenia in fulfilling its CE commitments”, she said....

One Russian TV crew making footage in a village, where a presidential candidate Oleg Malisgkin was born, asked his mother whom she would cast her vote for. “For Putin”, the woman answered frankly. Asked by journalists in Strasbourg is he sure he can convince Russian citizens or at least his mother to vote in favor of him, Malishkin said his mother hadn’t known he run for the presidency,...

Opposition made an ordinary attempt for joining. And the effort again failed. ”Republic” Part leader Aram Sargssyan thinks to oppose joining or discrediting the idea for joining plays into the hands of Authorities alone. {BR}At the conversation with us he also said that irrespective of who will join whom, “Republic” Party will meet the social demand – power change and...

In connection with the statement by Armenian Foreign Affairs Minister, Opposition representative in CE Shavarsh Kocharyan says: ”Vardan Oskanyan’s statement is much of panic and proves that as a Foreign Minister Oskanyan knows well to what condition he has brought diplomacy and foreign policy, in Karabakhi conflict issue in particular”. {BR} ”As to the black linen, he just...

To get explanations over the various comments on suggestion of carrying out a Trust Referendum to Armenian president Armenian Parliament Speaker Arthur Baghdasaryan has appealed to Constitutional Court Chair Gagik Harutyunyan and received a reply by signatures of CC Chair and CC members, saying that Constitutional Court suggestion ”is of non-positive and not of imperative character, i.e, it...

The issue over terrorism prevention is discussed in PACE. Numerous speeches on necessity to fight against terrorism were made. {BR} Shavarsh Kocharyan said: ”There is no definition for terrorism. That’s why various states comment on it in different ways, proceeding from the national interests. I am a representative of the first state, which adopted Christianity as the state religion and...

”It’s a serious task I have myself set to the Armenian Authorities. I won’t stop, I will address to the issue time and again”.{BR} ”I know that the European Court on Human Rights is already occupied with the matter. It is very significant. Freedom for expression is one of the most important conditions of establishing democratic institutions”.

”In 2003 Republic of Armenia was busy with elections and had no time for fulfillment of obligations”, Natalia Vutova, special representative of Secretary General of Council of Europe in Armenia, announced. {BR} She added that Authorities had done their utmost for possible implementation of the commitments since 2003 September. Vutova said that the Law approved by Parliament over non-review...

Yesterday 2 representatives of “Jehovah Witnesses” organization came to the room for the Armenian delegation. It turned that they had periodically visited our delegation members with request to be lenient towards the Jehovah witnesses in Armenia and to register the organization. {BR} According to Tigran Torosyan, the representatives of “Jehovah Witnesses” came to express their...

”The report on Azerbaijan was essentially negative, even the commissions are questioned. In order that the discrepancy might not be so obvious, a gesture towards Azerbaijan was made – 2 Azeri wordings were inserted in the Azerbaijani report, which aren’t positive for Armenia at all. {BR} ”Our obligations over Karabakh are limited and the main part of the commitments is quite...

Newly elected Georgia president Mikhail Sahakashvili delivered a speech at the PACE session on Wednesday. He welcomed all his friends in his speech and expressed gratitude for support.{BR} In his opinion, despite the fact that the European Union is increasingly being enlarged, the role of the Council of Europe remains extremely important. He spoke on velvet revolution in Georgia and explained its...

Leader of Russian Liberal Democratic Party Vladimir Zhirinovski, who is a member of Russian delegation in PACE, missed no chance today to criticise Communist Zuganov. The latter have repeatedly blamed Russia in his speeches made in the CE.{BR} Zhirinovski says unlike Communists he doesn’t criticise Russia everywhere, but defend his countries’ interests wherever he was. In his words, Russia...

On January 28, 1992, the then Armenian president Levon Ter-Petrossyan signed a decree on Armenian Army foundation. However, yet before that Armenian Armed Forces controlled by the Interior Ministry defended the country. Vazgen Sargssyan, the first Armenian Defense Minister, run the army at its formation stage. He is known as the Armenian army founder. Armenian army is considered the strongest army...

The fact that only 41 voters have taken part in voting at the PACE session is convincing evidence of Europe’s indifferent attitude toward Armenia-related issues, says a member of Armenian delegation to the session Artashes Geghamyan.{BR} This fact shows that the overall majority of the CE member countries take Armenian foreign policy not so seriously. From 21 votes cast in favor, 4 were Armenians’,...

Armenian National Assembly Vice-Speaker Tigran Torossyan, who leads the delegation to PACE session in Strasbourg, is happy about the course of events in the CE.{BR} In his opinion, the fact that two reports include the languages contradicting each other is believed due to the bid to maintain balance. “Everybody having read both our and Azeri resolutions will find tremendous difference between...

Pressure on Russian troops deployed in Georgia aimed at ousting them from the country are running increasingly high as Russian and Georgian governments hold talks over the matter.{BR} A Russian military unit deployed in Akhalkalaki found itself in difficult situation. Local military and police authorities following a secret order from Tbilisi took under their control those organisations and individuals...

A congressional letter asking President Bush to call on Turkey to immediately end its illegal blockade of Armenia has the backing of more than 50 Members of the U.S. House of Representatives. The letter was issued by Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues Co-Chairs Joe Knollenberg (R-MI) and Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) in advance of Bush's meeting tomorrow with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip...

”A1+” correspondent in Strasburg informed that as a result of voting by 21 pros, 18 cons word “other” was removed from “Nagorno Karabakh and other occupied territories” formula. {BR} It is to remind that the Armenian delegation pursued just this goal.

”During 3 years Armenia carried out a serious work and it is now on the right way”, Armenian representative Armen Rustamyan announced at PACE sitting, stressing that there are problems, implementation of democratic elections first of all, but they are characteristic for all the post-Soviet countries. {BR} He dwelt on Nagorno Karabakh conflict. He said in 2001 when Armenia became...

Discussions over Armenia’s commitments towards CE continue in PACE. According to Lord Russell-Johnston, there is progress in the execution of the obligations – capital punishment was abolished, Law on “Mass Information” was approved though it is questionable whether it will be valid. {BR} Lord didn’t hide that they are disappointed of the elections in Armenia, especially...

During his speech about implementation of CE commitments Jerji Jaskernia, Spokesman on Armenia stated that the situation in the country was tensed in the period of elections. Some CE obligations haven’t been met. But according to Spokesman, some progress was fixed – death penalty abolition, convention ratification. ”All these were done after October 27. Do you imagine how difficult...