Interview with Arpine Hovhannisyan, Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly, the head of the Armenian delegation to the PACE Ms. Hovhannisyan, after the Azerbaijani corruption scandal the author of a report on Azerbaijan Belgian MP Alan Destex left the PACE delegation. He was said to be involved in those corruption schemes. The PACE president Pedro Agramunt has resigned. Can we say a situation is possible when from now on the MPs with a pro-Azerbaijani stance will be suspected of deals with Azerbaijan? Actually, people remain in the Parliamentary Assembly who, we are 100% sure, are involved in Azerbaijan’s corruption schemes in one way or another. However, as you can notice, the consequences, both domestic ones, such as accountability to the law enforcement agencies, an political responsibility such as resignation, come when there is clear and specific evidence, when there are addressed publications. I think that in any case many people will have more restraint and be more alert, since the entire world is focused on that organization. And the members of the majority of this institution is trying to promote a cleaning process. From this point of view, one should expect that some delegates will be more cautious. However, this does not mean that the existing situation does not suppose constant efforts to communicate or convey one’s own point of view. What will change after Agramunt left? In fact, with Agramunt’s departure we declare the end of a process where he marked a period of corruption and pro-Azerbaijani attitude in the Parliamentary Assembly. Although he was one of the most pertinent representatives, he was not alone. Delegates remain in the Assembly who have key roles in one position or another. However, Agramunt’s departure means inevitability of accountability for those people, and each of them will not feel free to act...
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