Head of Swedish delegation to PACE criticizes Armenian authorities

Goran Lindblad, head of Sweden's delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) and a co-rapporteur on Armenia, has addressed a letter to the Head of the Armenian delegation to the PACE David Arutyunyan and the Assembly's Secretary General Mateo Sorinas.

“I have my doubt that Armenia as a country that considers itself a democratic one, cannot find time to meet the co-rapporteurs on the margins of the forum “For Democratic Future” to be held by the Council of Europe. This confirms my supposition about Armenia that it is not yet mature for holding such a forum,” Goran Lindblad wrote in the letter.

He recalled that on June 22 the Monitoring Committee allowed the fact-finding group of the co-rapporteurs to visit Armenia, but it was later delayed due to holidays. Citing the fact that there will not be enough time to organize it in mid September, according to him, it was delayed once more.

“It seemed there was an agreement to organize the visits on October 17-18 on the sidelines of the Forum, but Chairman of Armenia's Parliament rejected it … I don't have any personal problem, but hindering the process of the monitoring is offensive for the Parliamentary Assembly, for CoE's fundamental values, which Armenia has assumed to protect,” Mr. Lindblad continued.

Further he asked his addresses to review his wish to meet Armenia's representatives on the sidelines of the Forum which is planned to take place on October 19-21 in Yerevan.


/AzerTAc/