Thursday, 28 September 2006
Today RA Prime Minister Andranik Margaryan has received PACE Monitoring Commission Rapporteurs Mikko Elo, George Kolumbier and Executive Secretary Despinu Chatzivasiliu.
By mentioning that the present visit of the delegation led by the rapporteurs of the Monitoring Commission was important in many respects, the Prime Minister said that Armenia was interested in having an unbiased assessment of the course of performance of Armenia's commitments to the Council of Europe and was prepared to discuss any matter connected thereto.
The Prime Minister provided a detailed description of the international organizations- and civil society-assisted anticorruption measures carried out in our country in line with the anticorruption program. He advised that the Government of Armenia was well aware that the struggle against corruption was a lengthy process and was currently developing a new three-year program.
The rapporteurs said that they were impressed with the impact of Armenia;s reforms and economic development and expressed their appreciation of the legislative improvements launched in the wake of the constitutional reform. They also emphasized the importance of holding the 2007 and 2008 parliamentary and presidential elections in Armenia in strict accordance with the international criteria.
During the meeting, Mr. George Columbier took the opportunity to extend his congratulations on the celebrations of the Year of Armenia in France with the latter due to be inaugurated in a couple of days in Yerevan, attended by the Presidents of France and Armenia. Andranik Margaryan noted, in turn, that besides stirring up a feeling of pride, the celebrations Armenia
