Adoption of anti-Armenian bills to harm PACE's reputation: official

PanARMENIAN.Net - The possible adoption of two anti-Armenian resolutions by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) is a blow not only to Armenia's statehood, but also to the principles of democracy, a spokesperson for the Nagorno Karabakh President said, according to RFE/RL Armenian service.

The winter session of PACE kicked off Monday, January 25 in Strasburg and is scheduled to run through January 29.

PACE is set to discuss on Tuesday, January 29 two controversial reports, titled “Escalation of violence in Nagorno Karabakh and other occupied territories of Azerbaijan” and “Inhabitants of frontier regions of Azerbaijan are deliberately deprived of water.”

“We hope that PACE will have the strength, morality and courage not to adopt those resolutions,” Davit Babayan said.

In response to a question on the impact the adoption may have on the Karabakh peace process, Babayan said: “Even if the resolutions are adopted, they can have no political or legal impact, sure to simply nullify PACE’s reputation. The Assembly, designed to be one of the world's most important platforms for democracy, will lose its status. I can't even imagine how PACE is going after all this to provide guidelines on democracy and human rights to countries, including Azerbaijan.”