YEREVAN (Noyan-Tapan) – A delegation composed of Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly (PACE) members–and headed by Lord Russell Johnston–will visit Armenia–April 24-27.
The head of the Armenian delegation at the PACE Spring Session in Strasbourg Hovhannes Hovhannissian–also revealed that the delegation will include PACE rapporteur to Azerbaijan Andre Gross of Switzerland.
The delegation’s mission is to hold discussion with the Armenian government ahead of the country’s May 25 parliamentary elections.
Hovhanissian added that PACE rapporteur to Armenia will visit the country right after the parliamentary elections.
He revealed that the unique activity of Euro officials in Armenia are a direct result of the discrepancies between the evaluations of CIS and PACE monitors on Armenia’s presidential elections.
The Armenian delegates at the Strasbourg session also met with the PACE rapporteur to Nagorno Karabagh Terry Davis–who will visit Armenia April 17-19–(after visiting Baku). Davis is scheduled to visit Nagorno-Karabagh in June within the framework of his regional visit.
Hovhannisian stated that Terry Davis will present his report on Nagorno-Karabagh after elections in Armenia and Azerbaijan.
During one of the Strasbourg sessions–PACE discussed a report presented by Azeri delegate Ali Abasov on cultural issues in Southern Caucasus–consequently accepted by the assembly–but which contained the term "Occupies Territories."
Armenian delegate Ashot Galoyan–in turn–presented the vandalism–by Azerbaijan–of the Old Jugha cemeteries. The issues has been included in PACE’s cultural issues agenda and will be reviewed during upcoming sessions.