FOREIGN MINISTRY ADDRESSES ISSUE OF UNDP OFFICE TRANSFER TO TURKEY
January 21, 2013 – 13:15 AMT
PanARMENIAN.Net – Armenian Foreign Ministry is currently addressing
the issue of the planned transfer of UNDP Bratislava Regional Centre
for Europe to Istanbul, Ministry spokesman said.
As Tigran Balayan told PanARMENIAN.Net Cyprus and Slovenia share
Armenia’s concerns over the plan to move UNDP center to Turkey.
Armenian civil society representatives addressed a letter to UN
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, voicing deep concerns over the plan to
move UNDP Bratislava Regional Centre for Europe to Istanbul, head of
For Sustainable Human Development NGO and UNEP National Committee said.
As Karine Danielyan told a press conference, Armenia’s 15 NGOs
joined the initiative, with the decision on the move taken once the
information was released.
“Armenian Foreign Ministry has already issued an official statement;
however, we found it appropriate to take relevant steps on the issue,”
she said.
Ms Danielyan further noted that Armenia finds it inappropriate to move
a regional center to a country that failed to recognize the Armenian
Genocide and establish diplomatic relations with some of the states
in the region.
“Moreover, Turkey is not an EU member. It is still guided by Article
301 of Constitution, which restricts freedom of speech, hampers
the free development of national minorities, the latter, in turn,
bringing about internal conflicts and deaths of prominent public
figures (Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink’s murder),” she said.
“We hope that the UN will be committed to its principles and won’t
prioritize the funding Turkey offers,” Ms Danielyan said, urging the
international community to focus on the problem that may adversely
affect the implementation of the programs of the UNDP Regional Center
both on regional and country level.
According to her, Cyprus and Slovenia have already joined the call,
with Russia also having expressed concerns over the plan.