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65 OSCE, 35 PACE observers to monitor Armenian elections

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YEREVAN, May 7 (RIA Novosti) - About 100 representatives from two organizations, international and European, will monitor parliamentary elections in Armenia scheduled for May 12.

There will be 65 observers from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe and 35 observers from the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, and they are expected to make an official statement May 13.

But the Armenian Foreign Ministry is refusing to accredit observers from Turkey.

"There are no diplomatic relations between Armenia and Turkey, and, considering that Ankara is not striving to establish them or display goodwill by opening the Armenian-Turkish border, Armenia does not deem the presence of Turkish observers expedient at elections for the Armenian National Assembly," Armenia's acting Foreign Ministry press secretary said.

Earlier, Christian Strohal, the director of the OSCE's Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, said Armenia had refused to include Turkish observers into the European mission.

The two sides have not had diplomatic relations since 1915, when Armenia claimed that Turkey carried out genocide which left 1.5 million Armenians died. Turkey has consistently denied the genocide charges.

Turkey imposed a blockade on Armenia after the ex-Soviet republic became embroiled in a conflict with Azerbaijan over the Nagorno-Karabakh region, which has an Armenian majority and has been seeking independence, but Turkey was one of the first countries to recognize Armenia's independence in 1991.

The conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh first erupted in 1988 when it declared its independence from Azerbaijan and moved to join Armenia.

Over 30,000 people were killed on both sides between 1988 and 1994, and over 100 died following a 1994 ceasefire. Nagorno-Karabakh remained in Armenian hands, but tensions between Azerbaijan and Armenia have persisted, and Azerbaijan is determined to restore its control over the separatist region.

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