Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure of Armenia Suren Papikyan today had a meeting with outgoing Head of the Council of Europe Office in Yerevan Natalia Voutova.

Minister Papikyan expressed gratitude to Mrs. Voutova for her role in strengthening local democracy in Armenia and the active support provided by the Council of Europe Office.

Highly appreciating the advisory support of the Council of Europe Office in Yerevan, Minister Papikyan touched upon the recent legislative amendments and stated the following: “With the amendments to the Electoral Code and related laws, we are making the transition to a higher level of local democracy. We are providing all political forces in Armenia with the opportunity to participate in local self-governance and assume responsibility for shaping a healthy atmosphere, developing communities and having balanced local self-governance.”

Voutova stated that local self-governance is at the root of democracy and that the Council of Europe and the Government of Armenia have recorded major results in the development of democratic institutions, capacity-building and work with the public through the Council of Europe’s programs. In this context, the minister also attached importance to the continuity of monitoring dialogue with the Council of Europe and implementation of the roadmap established as a result of that.

The interlocutors also exchanged views on the upcoming elections of local self-government bodies in 2021 and the steps to be taken for administrative-territorial reforms in the course of the next five years.