OSCE concerned about Armenia's rejection of Turkish observersMay 11, 2007 - 15:23 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Urdur Gunnarsdottir, Spokeswoman for the OSCE's Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights based in Warsaw, said her office was concerned about Armenia's rejection of Turkish observers for May 12 parliamentary election. "The fact of rejection proves insufficient transparency of the election. Armenia breaches an important OSCE principle. Inviting one observer implies inviting representatives from all of 55 OSCE member states," she said.When asked whether the OSCE can apply sanctions against Armenia, Ms. Gunnarsdottir said, "In such cases OSCE doesn't apply sanctions. The goal of our organization is to contribute to the vote and send observers. This is a political but not a juridical task. I can't say what kind of consequences Armenia can face but I can say for sure that OSCE won't apply any sanctions," Deutsche Welle reports. Armenian Foreign Ministry's Acting Spokesman Vladimir Karapetian said the rejection of Turkish observers is conditioned by the absence of diplomatic relations between Yerevan and Ankara. Top stories Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". The earthquake caused a temporary blackout, damaged many buildings and closed a number of rural roads. Partner news | Titus, Bilirakis lead legislation to sanction Azerbaijani war criminals Representatives Dina Titus (D-NV) and Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) have introduced the bipartisan legislation. Armenia: Defense Ministry warns against involving army in political processes The Ministry’s statement came after a video surfaced online, showing soldiers joining the protests in Tavush. Scholz hopes Armenia-Azerbaijan peace treaty will be signed this year German Chancellor Olaf Scholz hopes that a peace treaty between Armenia and Azerbaijan will be signed this year. Ucom equips four bus stops in Ijevan with free Wi-Fi Ucom now provides free Wi-Fi coverage in smart bus stops in four communities of Ijevan. |