YEREVAN, JANUARY 19, NOYAN TAPAN. "There are political calculations in Council of Europe's position to Armenia," Kiro Manoyan, the Responsible Person of ARFD Hay Dat and Political Affairs Office, stated at the January 19 press conference. According to him, Council of Europe wants to exert pressure upon Armenia for the latter to renounce complementary foreign policy. As to PACE's proper demands, according to K. Manoyan, they should be fulfilled not only to please Council of Europe, but also because there is a public demand. "PACE's estimation to our country is subjective and is not based on purely the quality of our fulfilling our commitments. Otherwise sanctions would be also used to other Council of Europe member-countries," K. Manoyan said. Touching upon the second anniversary of murder of Agos newspaper's editor-in-chief Hrant Dink, the ARFD representative reminded his words that the criterion of Turkey's improval will be the adoption of the fact of Armenian Genocide. K. Manoyan also said that the American Armenian community has sent a letter to newly elected U.S. President Barack Obama calling him for keeping his preelection promise and recognizing the Armenian Genocide. As the ARFD figure predicted it, B. Obama will do it in the coming months. Drawing parallels between the democracy extent of Armenia and Turkey, K. Manoyan stated that Turkey is a more totalitarian state. In response to journalists' observation that elections are periodically rigged in Armenia K. Manoyan stated that instead people are punished for the word "genocide" in Turkey.

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