Press Secretary of the Republican Party of Armenia, MP Edward Sharmazanov expressed confidence today that no sanctions will be applied against Armenia at the winter session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE). The Deputy sees no prerequisites for it even in case some people speak about the existence of "political prisoners" in Armenia, reported Public radio.
Edward Sharmazanov said there are no threats for Armenia at the Parliamentary Assembly, since the authorities have taken a number of steps to soften the attitude of Europeans, Sharmazanov said and recalled an example - the reforms in the judicial, tax and custom structures, which now correspond to European standards. Besides, he stated that the ad hoc parliamentary commission investigating the events of March 1 did not become the executor of the will of the authorities.
"I think that the perspective that Armenia will be deprived of the voting right is very dim, because I do not see serious bases for it. My subjective sentiment is that there is no serious ground for depriving Armenia of the voting right."
"Of course, being deprived of the voting right in European structures does not proceed from Armenia's interests, because there is an issue of reputation today. There are other issue, as well, but I do not keep to the opinion that if we are deprived of the voting right, a period of darkness will come and everything will be over," Sharmazanov said.