I would like to highlight three aspects of the processes underway in Armenia.

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on Monday stated about the abovementioned while responding to the queries posed by those in attendance, after his address at the European Parliament Committee on Foreign Affairs, in Brussels.

“First of all, we need to create strong democratic institutions,” he continued. “Of course, we must continue to improve the electoral system, so we need to cooperate efficiently with the European Union. We see that our European partners are prepared to support us. I would like to assure that we are firmly determined to fully implement the Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement, since we are convinced that it fully complies with our overall policy agenda and priorities.

“As to the fight against corruption, I should note that it is extremely important for us to establish the rule of law in the country. Several criminal cases have been filed against former officials. The exposure of corrupt behavior will continue. It is up to courts to decide the fate of those criminal cases, and in this regard, it is extremely important to ensure the independence of the courts.

“From the very beginning, our government endeavored to put an end to the vicious practice of influencing court decisions. But I am not sure that the former authorities, or if you want the oligarchy no longer make use of their leverages and tools to influence the courts. Nevertheless, we are not going to interfere with court dealings in any way: our goal is to make the judiciary truly independent.

“The funds looted from the state should be returned, and we hope that we will succeed in building effective cooperation with the European Union to achieve that goal. It is extremely important for us that the OSCE has promised to assist the Armenian government in returning public funds to the state budget.”