On June 29, Chair of the Standing Committee on European Integration of the National Assembly Ms. Naira Zohrabyan, member of the delegation of the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia in PACE, stated to the mass media representatives on works of the second part of the PACE session.

Ms. Zohrabyan reminded that there were already adopted 4 resolutions in PACE on democracy institutions in Armenia, i.e. 1609, 1620, 1643 and the last one is 1677, adopted on June 24. According to Ms. Zohrabyan, the PACE 1677 resolution brought changes to inter- political life in Armenia. She considers that the amnesty, declared by the President of the Republic of Armenia, had vital influence on overcoming the created inter political tension after the presidential elections, which is also recorded in PACE Resolution 1677. “By adopting amnesty covering the persons, who committed crimes, related to the events on March 1-2 in Yerevan, the authorities of the Republic of Armenia realized the presented vital demand of the assembly on political crisis, followed the presidential elections of February 2008.” The PACE records that in compliance with the demands of the assembly the authorities of the Republic of Armenia are ready to overcome the political crisis and its causes and open a new page in the process of developing democracy in Armenia. Such assessment Ms. Zohrabyan considers an important achievement. According to her not all the issues are fully solved yet, but the more important and serious step was realized in the aspect of overcoming the inter political crisis, created after the events of March 1-2. Now a new field should be opened for political dialogue. According to Ms Zohrabyan by resolution 1677 the PACE states that through amnesty the authorities of the Republic of Armenia propose a dialogue with their political opponents. She hopes that the political opponents will take advantage of the proposal by the authorities to begin an open dialogue, and the remaining issues will be resolved jointly.

The next important provision of the PACE resolution relates to the Ad- Hoc Inquiry Committee into the events occurred on March 1-2, 2008 in Yerevan. In its resolution, the Assembly deplored the fact that, due to internal disagreements the fact-finding group was not able to complete its undertaken task, but hopes that the Ad- Hoc Inquiry Committee of the National Assembly will realize it. As a member of the committee, Ms. Zohrabyan assured that serious work is realized in the committee and a substantiated conclusion would be presented to the public as well as the opposition.

Chair of the Standing Committee on European Integration of the National Assembly, Ms. Naira Zohrabyan, member of the delegation of the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia in PACE, also answered the journalists’ questions, which related to the proposals of the Armenian delegation of the PACE and of Ms. Zaruhi Postanjyan, member of the Heritage faction, under which were the signatures of the representatives of the Azerbaijani and Turkish delegations. The questions also related to the activity of the Ad- Hoc Inquiry Committee into the events occurred on March 1-2, 2008 in Yerevan, the peculiarities of the PACE Resolution 1677, amnesty etc.

Ms. Zohrabyan did not comment on Ms. Zaruhi Postanjyan’s deed, noting that with such a step she only recorded her biggest defeat.

Talking on amnesty, the Chair of the committee noted that a tense inter- political situation was created in the country, and the President of the Republic of Armenia realized an important step for overcoming it. 215 persons are released at this moment.

Ms Naira Zohrabyan stressed that the opponents should get rid of extreme displays and there are no issues that are  impossible to be solved. Any issue can be solved if there is readiness for dialogue.

In resolution 1677 the PACE urges the Ad-Hoc Inquiry Committee into the events occurred on March 1-2, 2008 in Yerevan and their reasons with a view of submitting its conclusion to the National Assembly to solve the issues, which were not solved by the fact-collecting group. The chair of the committee assured that the committee members will try to present an exhaustive conclusion. It was noted that each document will be examined in the committee. Ms. Naira Zohrabyan believes that the documents should be published - to stop the rumors that there may be concealment.