Yesterday, the Ago Group for the monitoring of obligations assumed by Armenia before the Council of Europe Committee of Ministers led by Pier Sjorgen, ambassador of Sweden to the CoE, held a meeting with the minister of foreign affairs of Armenia, Vardan Oskanyan, during which he warned the Armenian authorities against effectively pulling RFE/RL off the air, saying that its Armenian-language broadcasts are essential for political pluralism in the country. He said the planned ban on retransmission of foreign broadcasts by Armenian state radio could result in a “serious and adverse impact” on freedom of the press. Sjogren also criticized the government proposal to impose heavy fees on private radio stations engaging in such re-broadcasts. He said the “disproportionately high broadcasting fees” would strongly discourage those stations from doing business with foreign broadcasters like RFE/RL. “This approach would be contrary to the public interest and the important contribution that independent and free media should make in fostering public debate, political pluralism, and diverse opinions,” the Swedish diplomat said. Expressing his personal position on the matter, Oskanyan again voiced support for the continued unfettered activities of RFE/RL’s Armenian service. “I hope that a solution will be found, as a result of which Radio Liberty will continue its broadcasts in Armenia,” he said. Oskanyan also promised to convey the Council of Europe concerns to his government. Today Sjogren was supposed to hold meetings with the President of Armenia and Parliament Speaker Tigran Torosyan. Oskanyan personally hopes that a solution will be found for this issue, and that the transmission of the RFE/RL will not be interrupted in Armenia. As of the mentioned bill, a number of international and diplomatic structures have expressed their concerns. The list also includes the well-known “Human Rights Watch” organization.
