Aparaj.am’s correspondent sat down for an interview with communication representative of the Armenian National Committee of Europe Bedo Demirdjian, who answered the correspondent’s questions regarding the two anti-Armenian reports to be discussed during the upcoming sitting of the PACE.

Aparaj.am: Two anti-Armenian resolutions will be discussed during the Winter Sitting of the PACE. What is the Armenian National Committee of Europe doing to suspend adoption of these resolutions?

Bedo Demirdjian: The Armenian National Committee of Europe got to work right from the start. The Committee contacted the Chairperson of the PACE and every delegate. It also mobilized the Armenian National Committees and communities of Europe so that they could also work on revealing the authenticity of the two resolutions and the purpose of those resolutions in their respective countries. We also organized an online petition on www.change.org, and about 6,000 people have already expressed their protest against the two resolutions. The efforts and meetings will continue until the last second. These two resolutions must not be adopted.

Aparaj.am: How risky can the adoption of such resolutions be for the process of negotiations?

B. D.: Such resolutions completely hurt the process of negotiations, and this is something that we mention during our meetings with the delegates. The Co-Chairs of the Minsk Group and the Ministers of Foreign Affairs personally and jointly mentioned and condemned these resolutions from the very first day. During the meeting of the Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan in December, it was affirmed once again that the Minsk Group is the only format for negotiations.

As always, and this time as well, Azerbaijan is trying to disturb the peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

Aparaj.am: In the January sitting, leader of the European People’s Party Pedro Agramunt, who is considered as one of the most active lobbyists of Azerbaijan, will be assuming the office of Chairman of the PACE. How can this impede the efforts of the Armenian Delegation?

B. D.: Yes, he is known as one of the pioneers in the ��?caviar diplomacy’. He has been referred to as such several times by various European human rights organizations, as well as circles supporting transparency in politics and diplomacy. He will probably try to continue what Turkey’s current Minister of Foreign Affairs Cavusoglu is doing and undertake pro-Azerbaijani initiatives in relation to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

Working with him won’t be easy, but we have to be ready to counterattack and, why not, take the initiative so that we can balance his future actions.

Aparaj.am: What diplomatic instruments need to be applied in order to counterattack Azerbaijan’s ��?caviar diplomacy’?

B. D.: We are certain that the delegates of the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia and diplomatic representations will do and must do whatever is required to not let the PACE become hostage to the Aliyevs. We believe we shouldn’t boycott such structures, something that Azerbaijan does very often, making these structures go against it. We need to be alert, approach the efforts of these structures more seriously and, of course, be more active.