Friday, 24 September 2004
Today the RA Anti-Corruption Council has held a meeting chaired by RA Prime Minister A. Margaryan, head of the Council. Discussed were issues bearing on the progress made in the implementation of the Armenian government's anti-corruption strategy and program of action., the status of cooperation with international organizations and the fulfilment of the international commitments assumed by Armenia. The meeting also discussed other issues of topical interest.
The Council took notice of the report on cooperation with international organizations (GRECO, OECD, UN) in the fight against corruption made by Bagrat Yesayan, adviser to RA President and chairman of the commission on the monitoring of the anti-corruption strategy implementation. Before proceeding to the report, Mr. Yesayan presented the individual composition of the monitoring commission, which Justice and National Unity factions of the National Assembly had formerly refused to join. Instead, they had nominated representatives from non-governmental organizations to take part in the proceedings of the commission. Later on, with reference to the issue under discussion, the chairman of the commission informed that the Government Staff, in collaboration with the UNDP, had developed the Armenia Program for Civil Society Capacity Building for Monitoring of Corruption, which consisted of 3 components: Situation Analysis, Terms of Reference for Targets and Resources, General Work Program and RA State Budget. According to the speaker, the group of European countries combating corruption (GRECO), to which Armenia has been a member since January 2004, has drafted questionnaires to serve a basis for the preparation of the national report to be completed by the end of October. A relevant group of experts has already been set up. Mr. Bagrat Yesayan noted that at the June meeting held in Paris, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) provided guarantees in connection with the national report on the state of affairs in the fight against corruption, on the basis of which a program of action was developed subsequently.
The Minister-Chief of Government Staff M. Topuzyan, member of the Council, has reported that all of the 9 program items scheduled for 2003
