MR AGO ANSWERS A1+ TV'S LETTER
Support A1+!Today "A1+" TV Company got the following answer from Mr Pietro Ercole Ago, Chair of the Monitoring Group of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe:
"Strabourg, 28 May 2002
Dear Mr Movsessyan
Thank you for your communication of 23 May 2002 relating to my statements at the press Conference in Yerevan to which I would like to bring some clarification.
The monitoring Group of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe which I chair and which visited Armenia on 15-16 May 2002, did indeed discuss with the authorities all of Armenia’s commitments vis-à-vis the Council of Europe including freedom of the media and freedom of expression. In this context the question of the non-renewal of your broadcasting licence was raised. We did not, however, discuss the regularity of the tender that ended with your company being deprived of its licence. We only stressed, including to President Kocharian, that it was unhealthy for Armenia not to have at least one broadcasting station which would offer the opposition the opportunity of expressing its views.
In this context, the President promised that a new call for tenders would be issued. This exercise would take place in all transparency, and the President even suggested the involvement of Council of Europe experts in this matter. This reflects what I said at the press conference. I trust it adequately explains the position of the Group on this matter.
Yours sincerely,
Pietro Ercole Ago
Chair of the Monitoring Group of the Committee of Ministers, Council of Europe"
