23:52, 29 August 2003

Armenian Foreign Minister: "Armenia is unlikely to be seriously sanctioned by Council of Europe"

The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe will not take serious sanctions against Armenia. Foreign Minister of Armenia Vardan Oskanian expressed this viewpoint in his interview to the Armnews Television Company.

Oskanian declared that the Foreign Ministry of Armenia admitted in its note the fact of serious violations during the elections. The Council of Europe motivates the necessity of sanctions against Armenia by the thought that otherwise it will be difficult to guarantee fair elections in neighboring Azerbaijan and Georgia which are to take place this autumn. However, Oskanian assumed that Armenia was unlikely to be "seriously sanctioned". He said that it could be explained in such a way: firstly, the CE realized that in Armenia, like in the whole CIS, democracy had not become firmly established yet and, secondly, Armenia was ready to reform the process of elections.

Author: Susanna Petrosian, CK correspondent

Source: Caucasian Knot