September 28, 2002 - 19:33 AMT
ARMENIA MADE A NOTICEABLE PROGRESS IN FULFILLMENT OF ITS COMMITMENTS TO COUNCIL OF EUROPE
The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) has considered the report on Armenia's fulfillment of commitments undertaken when joining the Council of Europe and passed a corresponding resolution. According to the RA MFA information, the resolution states that Armenia has made a noticeable progress in fulfillment of its commitments to the CE. At that the PACE considered inadmissible the fact that Armenia has not ratified the sixth protocol of the convention yet, but noted the RA president's assurances that after adoption of the Criminal code, the decree on replacement of the capital punishment by the life imprisonment would be signed. In connection with the Karabakh issue, the European parliamentarians welcomed the continual efforts of Armenia for contacts on the highest level with Azerbaijan aiming at peaceful settlement of the conflict. 15 amendments, seven out of which were presented by Armenia, were introduced on the resolution. The amendments on the Karabakh conflict settlement proposed by the Azeri party were rejected by the PACE.