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ARMENIA UNFAZED BY MOLDOVAN DELEGATE'S BEHAVIOR IN YEREVAN AHEAD OF EASTERN PARTNERSHIP SUMMIT IN CHISINAU
http://www.armenianow.com/commentary/analysis/47503/armenia_aurelia_grigoriu_moldova_azerbaijan_easter n_partnership
ANALYSIS | 09.07.13 | 10:27
Photo: www.parliament.am
By NAIRA HAYRUMYAN
ArmeniaNow correspondent
On July 11 the Moldovan capital of Chisinau will host the Eastern
Partnership summit of the European People's Party (EPP) to be attended
by the presidents of Moldova, Armenia and Georgia, as well as the
chairman of the EPP Wilfried Martens.
A week before the summit an unpleasant incident connected with
Moldova, or rather its parliamentary advocate, took place in Yerevan.
The ombudsperson named Aurelia Grigoriu, speaking from the rostrum at
a European-level conference dealing with European standards for the
rule of law and limits of government powers in Council of Europe
member countries claimed that Armenia continues to occupy Azerbaijani
lands and committed genocide against Azerbaijanis in Khojalu during
the Karabakh war.
Such statements have been typical of Azerbaijani propaganda that has
used various tribunes to propagate such claims. But it was the first
time such statements were made from an Armenian parliamentary rostrum.
Vice-Speaker of the Armenian Parliament Hermine Naghdalyan accused
Grigoriu of executing a political order. That the delegate was engaged
in pro-Azeri lobbyism was indirectly evidenced by her recording her
speech. Media and observers took it as an apparent sign of her keeping
the account of her activity in Armenia. Grigoriu's ties to Azerbaijan
also became evident due to her numerous posts on Facebook that she
quickly deleted after reaction in Yerevan and back at home in Moldova.
Meanwhile, Moldova rushed to apologize for the behavior of its
representative. In particular, member of the Constitutional Court of
Moldova Victor Popa said in Yerevan that Grigoriu's position did not
correspond to the official position of his country's parliament. And
Moldova's Ombudsman Anatoly Munteanu, who coordinates the work of
parliamentary advocates, sent a letter to his Armenian counterpart,
stating that the statement of Grigoriu did not reflect the position of
the Office of the Ombudsman.
On the whole, the Armenian society reacted to the statement by the
Moldovan delegate rather calmly. Online chattering classes on
Facebook, in a little ironic manner, discussed what was largely
labeled as 'fulfillment of a cheap propaganda order'. The main
question was on how people like her could be allowed to use an
Armenian tribune. But in general, Grigoriu still appears to have
failed to spoil the Armenian-Moldovan relations on the eve of the
Chisinau summit of the Eastern Partnership. Official Yerevan has not
sent a note of protest to Chisinau, evidently wishing to show its
unwillingness to give significance to the incident.
The Chisinau summit will be the last for the Eastern Partnership
before the Vilnius summit in November during which Armenia, Georgia,
Ukraine and Moldova are expected to sign Association Agreements with
the European Union. If taken, this step will become a milestone in
Armenia's relations with Europe and the West as it will open up new
prospects of integration for the South Caucasus nation.
In view of the significance of this summit some in Armenia have even
expressed views that the incident with the Moldovan delegate at the
Yerevan conference could be initiated with a view to preventing
Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan from attending the Chisinau summit.
But Grigoriu's long shot has apparentlyfailed to derail Sargsyan's
plans as his visit to Moldova remains on schedule.
http://www.armenianow.com/commentary/analysis/47503/armenia_aurelia_grigoriu_moldova_azerbaijan_easter n_partnership
ANALYSIS | 09.07.13 | 10:27
Photo: www.parliament.am
By NAIRA HAYRUMYAN
ArmeniaNow correspondent
On July 11 the Moldovan capital of Chisinau will host the Eastern
Partnership summit of the European People's Party (EPP) to be attended
by the presidents of Moldova, Armenia and Georgia, as well as the
chairman of the EPP Wilfried Martens.
A week before the summit an unpleasant incident connected with
Moldova, or rather its parliamentary advocate, took place in Yerevan.
The ombudsperson named Aurelia Grigoriu, speaking from the rostrum at
a European-level conference dealing with European standards for the
rule of law and limits of government powers in Council of Europe
member countries claimed that Armenia continues to occupy Azerbaijani
lands and committed genocide against Azerbaijanis in Khojalu during
the Karabakh war.
Such statements have been typical of Azerbaijani propaganda that has
used various tribunes to propagate such claims. But it was the first
time such statements were made from an Armenian parliamentary rostrum.
Vice-Speaker of the Armenian Parliament Hermine Naghdalyan accused
Grigoriu of executing a political order. That the delegate was engaged
in pro-Azeri lobbyism was indirectly evidenced by her recording her
speech. Media and observers took it as an apparent sign of her keeping
the account of her activity in Armenia. Grigoriu's ties to Azerbaijan
also became evident due to her numerous posts on Facebook that she
quickly deleted after reaction in Yerevan and back at home in Moldova.
Meanwhile, Moldova rushed to apologize for the behavior of its
representative. In particular, member of the Constitutional Court of
Moldova Victor Popa said in Yerevan that Grigoriu's position did not
correspond to the official position of his country's parliament. And
Moldova's Ombudsman Anatoly Munteanu, who coordinates the work of
parliamentary advocates, sent a letter to his Armenian counterpart,
stating that the statement of Grigoriu did not reflect the position of
the Office of the Ombudsman.
On the whole, the Armenian society reacted to the statement by the
Moldovan delegate rather calmly. Online chattering classes on
Facebook, in a little ironic manner, discussed what was largely
labeled as 'fulfillment of a cheap propaganda order'. The main
question was on how people like her could be allowed to use an
Armenian tribune. But in general, Grigoriu still appears to have
failed to spoil the Armenian-Moldovan relations on the eve of the
Chisinau summit of the Eastern Partnership. Official Yerevan has not
sent a note of protest to Chisinau, evidently wishing to show its
unwillingness to give significance to the incident.
The Chisinau summit will be the last for the Eastern Partnership
before the Vilnius summit in November during which Armenia, Georgia,
Ukraine and Moldova are expected to sign Association Agreements with
the European Union. If taken, this step will become a milestone in
Armenia's relations with Europe and the West as it will open up new
prospects of integration for the South Caucasus nation.
In view of the significance of this summit some in Armenia have even
expressed views that the incident with the Moldovan delegate at the
Yerevan conference could be initiated with a view to preventing
Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan from attending the Chisinau summit.
But Grigoriu's long shot has apparentlyfailed to derail Sargsyan's
plans as his visit to Moldova remains on schedule.