"QUALITY OF PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS IN ARMENIA WAS WELL BELOW EXPECTATIONS" - NEWSPAPER
NEWS.AM
February 22, 2013 | 08:24
YEREVAN. - "I think it's fair to say that the quality of the
presidential elections in Armenia was well below expectations,"
Sweden's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Carl Bildt, wrote this in his
Twitter page, Haykakan Zhamanak daily reports.
"The MFA of Armenia did not leave this [comment] without a response.
Speaking about EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs [and Security
Policy and Vice President of the European Commission] Catherine
Ashton's and [European] Commissioner for Enlargement [and European
Neighbourhood Policy] Štefan Fule's assessments on these elections
[as they have particularly 'welcomed further progress made by the
Armenian authorities in their efforts to hold these presidential
elections in line with international standards'], Bildt concluded
that the EU expected more from Armenia.
'I was disappointed when I read the observers' reports. I believe
the Armenian government should consider very carefully what was said
by a variety of observation missions; these concerns should not be
ignored because the EU truly attaches great importance to democratic
standards,' Bildt responded [to Ashton's and Fule's evaluations].
'Carl Bildt seems to be lacking good advisors on Armenia, and
therefore the quality of information he possesses is disappointing,'
the Armenian MFA responded [to Bildt in its Facebook page]," Haykakan
Zhamanak writes.
NEWS.AM
February 22, 2013 | 08:24
YEREVAN. - "I think it's fair to say that the quality of the
presidential elections in Armenia was well below expectations,"
Sweden's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Carl Bildt, wrote this in his
Twitter page, Haykakan Zhamanak daily reports.
"The MFA of Armenia did not leave this [comment] without a response.
Speaking about EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs [and Security
Policy and Vice President of the European Commission] Catherine
Ashton's and [European] Commissioner for Enlargement [and European
Neighbourhood Policy] Štefan Fule's assessments on these elections
[as they have particularly 'welcomed further progress made by the
Armenian authorities in their efforts to hold these presidential
elections in line with international standards'], Bildt concluded
that the EU expected more from Armenia.
'I was disappointed when I read the observers' reports. I believe
the Armenian government should consider very carefully what was said
by a variety of observation missions; these concerns should not be
ignored because the EU truly attaches great importance to democratic
standards,' Bildt responded [to Ashton's and Fule's evaluations].
'Carl Bildt seems to be lacking good advisors on Armenia, and
therefore the quality of information he possesses is disappointing,'
the Armenian MFA responded [to Bildt in its Facebook page]," Haykakan
Zhamanak writes.