France, Strasbourg, Jan. 28/ Trend , A. Maharramli/
The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) does not intend to end dialogue between the Council of Europe and Armenia. The organization seeks to regulate dialogue with Armenia and its political forces, co-reporter on Armenia George Colombier told Trend .
PACE decided against suspending the Armenian delegation's voting rights at the winter session. Instead the PACE Monitoring Committee will continue to assess the country's commitments to the organization.
"By canceling the voting rights of the Armenian delegation, we would punish the delegation, but not the Armenian government. This would also mean ending the dialogue between the Council of Europe and Armenia," Colombier said.
On Dec. 17, the PACE Monitoring Committee proposed canceling the voting rights of the Armenian delegation due to poor investigations into the tragic March events in Yerevan. The delegation composes 8 people.
The Armenian opposition launched mass demonstrations in the center of Yerevan on Feb. 20 as a protest against the presidential election in February and Serzh Sarkisyan's victory. The demonstrators clashed with law enforcement agencies on March 1. Dozens of people died and 265 were injured.
PACE passed the right decision, Colombier added.
"Establishing a working group of experts and Armenia's pardoning 28 people is a positive step," he said. "We hope to see progress until that time."
Head of the Azerbaijani delegation to the PACE Samed Seyidov accused the organization of double standards.
"The Council of Europe has double standards. Armenia does whatever it wants with the help of its diaspora. I hope these events have a positive impact on the situation in Armenia," Seyidov said at the winter session.
Seyidov said the situation is poor in Armenia.
Member of the Azerbaijani delegation Gultakin Hajibayli said in a speech at the session that the regime which once committed hostilities against Azerbaijanis is now doing the same against its own citizens.
"There is a need to draw an analogy between Azerbaijan and Armenia," she said. "Everyone is aware of the March 1 events. But since then we have not heard about the Armenian opposition. However, leaders of the Azerbaijani opposition and governmental representatives were invited to PACE after the 2003 presidential election in Azerbaijan. Nothing is being said about the Armenian opposition after March even though Europe questions the Armenian president's victory. The Council of Europe has double standards."
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