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The members of RA NA delegation in PACE at February 1 press conference presented details from the works of the regular session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe.

The head of RA NA delegation in PACE Mr. Davit Harutyunyan touched upon the issue of disputing the powers of the Armenian delegation by the European Democratic Group (EDP) political group. Mr. Harutyunyan said that the following day of disputing, on January 26, the Committee on Rules of Procedure, Immunities and Institutional Affairs convened an extraordinary sitting, the substantiations of the Armenian side, the information of the disputing side were presented, and it was decided that there did not exist any breach in the delegation’s activity and composition, and unanimously reaffirmed the mandates of RA NA delegation members.

The Head of the delegation also talked about the elections of the Assembly President. The five political groups of the PACE have agreed and signed a political agreement, defining the sequence that every group will propose Assembly President. During the history of the Assembly there has never been a case when the political agreements were breached. This year it was the turn of the EDP group, which by the majority of votes proposed Mr. Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu’s candidacy, and it was accepted. “In our press there is an information that our delegation had opportunity to be in obstacle in electing Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, but it has not done it and has not signed the initiative signed by Mrs. Zaruhi Postanjyan. However, the above-mentioned initiative has no connection with Çavuşoğlu’s election, because it has been shown when the decision was made, and the EDP group has nominated its candidacy,” Mr. Harutyunyan commented.

The head of RA NA delegation in PACE Mr. Davit Harutyunyan said that the representatives of the Armenian delegation had no opportunity to take part in PACE Monitoring Committee. Most of them connected with disputing the delegation’s powers, but the head of the delegation Mr. Davit Harutyunyan denied such conclusions. He said that the countries by the decision of the Council of Europe, which are under monitoring, have the opportunity to be presented in the Monitoring Committee not more than two members. The national delegation solves the issue of those two members. “We have reached such agreement, but they touched upon the issue at PACE bureau sitting, elected by secret ballot those two, who could participate in the discussions of the Monitoring Committee,” Mr. Harutyunyan said. By the decision of the bureau, the members of the delegation Mr. Davit Harutyunyan and Mr. Armen Rustamyan had an opportunity to take part in the discussions of the Monitoring Committee.

The member of RA NA delegation in PACE Mr. Armen Rustamyan added: “When it was decided that me and Davit Harutyunyan should take part in the discussions of the Committee, an issue was raised that Mrs. Zaruhi Postanjyan also had views connected with March 1-2 events, which she wanted to present. I agreed, noting that if it’s necessary to express certain view for giving special assessments or making emphases, then we shall give an occasion for that. The Monitoring Committee has such procedure, when it invites not a deputy and hearings are held on the concrete issue.” However, in Mr. Armen Rustamyan’s word, Mrs. Zaruhi Postanjyan used her speech not for presenting the assessments of March 1-2 events, but she devoted her speech to proving the necessity of her presence in the Monitoring Committee. Mrs. Zaruhi Postanjyan proposed a charge that Mr. Rustamyan occupied her seat in the delegation. “I have been working in PACE for ten years and I have always been in the Armenian delegation, so I could not replace her,” Mr. Armen Rustamyan clarified.

The member of the delegation Mrs. Naira Zohrabyan said that during the Assembly the Azerbaijani delegate enclosed a special opinion to the report on the right of property of the displaced persons, presenting distorted facts on NKR and speaking about one million refugees. “We touched upon that report, noting that the facts are distorted. The considerable part of Azerbaijanis, who has been displaced from Armenia, received compensation and had opportunity to sell its property unlike the Armenians, who resided in Azerbaijan, who simply escaped because of the slaughter carried out by the Azerbaijanis, leaving their whole property and not receiving any compensation. We delivered to CE delegates, including the Azerbaijani delegates the video films Real Tragedy and Vandals of the 21^st Century on 1990 Baku slaughter, where video shots are presented on the destruction of the cross-stones in Jugha Armenian cemeteries by the Azerbaijani military servicemen,” the deputy said. The Armenian delegation used the report on the electoral system, speaking about 7 national elections in NKR, which were held in accordance with international standards and called on the CE not to ignore the parliamentary elections being expected in NKR in summer. Touching upon Honouring the Freedom of Press report, where they negatively referred to Armenia, the delegation voted for that report, being sure that the problems, which were touched upon, were worth attention, and we shall be consistent to solve those problems.

The member of the delegation Mr. Artsruni Aghajanyan gave a speech during the discussions concerning the women’s rights and powers, their representation in the political life. He presented the women’s representation in the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia.

The members of RA NA delegation in PACE also answered the journalists’ questions.