Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe welcomed the organisation of Armenia’s parliamentary elections in line with international standards, a resolution adopted on Thursday says.

A resolution was adopted on the basis of a report by Sir Roger Gale (United Kingdom, EC/DA), report which take stock of the PACE monitoring activities from January to December 2019 and makes assessments of the progress of the countries subject to a monitoring procedure or engaged in post-monitoring dialogue.

The delegates welcomed Armenia’s commitment to combat corruption and to reform the judiciary with a view to strengthening its independence.

At the same time Assembly expressed its concern about the challenges faced by the judiciary from all sides in ensuring its independence and impartiality. The Assembly noted continuing prevalence in the Armenian society of intolerance and negative stereotypes regarding LGTBI persons and other minorities as well as the obstacles placed by some groups in society in the way of the still outstanding ratification of the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence.

The Assembly urged the Armenian authorities to stem up the reform of the justice system with a view to strengthening its independence and efficiency while refraining from any actions that could be perceived as putting pressure, or interfering in the work of the judiciary and to continue strengthening the rights of women as well as LGBTI persons and other minorities.