Armenia disagrees with U.S. State Department report on traffickingJune 30, 2011 - 14:04 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Armenian authorities are decisive to combat trafficking and continue taking consecutive measures against this phenomenon, head of the International Organizations' Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said when commenting on the State Department’s recent country report. “I do not agree with the part of the report saying that Armenia does not meet minimal standards for fighting against trafficking in people,” head of task force on combating trafficking Vahram Kazhoyan said when responding to a PanARMENIAN.Net reporter’s question during a press conference in Yerevan. “Our expectations were justified, that is, Armenia entered the second group of countries by the index of combating trafficking. We must continue efforts to improve our positions,” Kazhoyan said. Presenting statistics for 2010, he stressed that 4 cases of sexual trafficking were initiated last year, as a result of which 5 people were sentenced. On June 27, the U.S. State Department published the 11th annual country report on trafficking. For Armenia, it was said that the country is the source of women’s and girls’ trafficking for prostitution and forced labor of people. The U.S. State Department noted that the government’s actions do not meet minimal standards for the fight against trafficking, but works are carried out in this direction. The report also says that the abrupt decrease of the official record of trafficking victims as well as failure to investigate cases of forced labor also arouse concerns. Top stories David Vardanyan is the son of former Karabakh leader Ruben Vardanyan who who is currently imprisoned in Azerbaijan. The number of state universities will be reduced from 23 to 8 by 2030, Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sport Zhanna Andreasyan has said. From September 21 to November 11, a total of 2,820 Russians registered at a place of residence in Armenia, the police has said. The situation on the contact line between Karabakh and Azerbaijan was relatively stable overnight, the Defense Army says. Partner news | Kazakhstan welcomes Yerevan, Baku’s agreement to meet in Almaty Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has welcomed the agreement of Baku and Yerevan to hold negotiations in Almaty. Armenia offers to temporarily host, preserve Gaza manuscripts The Armenian Foreign Minister has said Yerevan is ready to help preserve manuscripts from the conflict zone in Gaza. Aliyev says no need for mediators in Armenia-Azerbaijan process Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev believes that Baku and Yerevan do not mediators in the process of normalizing relations. U.S. believes peace is “possible” in South Caucasus The United States continues to believe that peace is possible in the South Caucasus, Vedant Patel said. |