According to Kiro Manoyan, there are political calculations
in Council of Europe's position to Armenia
19-01-2009 17:10:00 | Armenia | Politics
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.