Artak Zeynalyan: After the Velvet Revolution, one of the main tasks  of the new government is the reform of the judiciary

ArmInfo. Cooperation between Armenia and the EU in the field of justice has always been very important for our republic. This was stated by the Minister of  Justice Artak Zeynalyan at the conference on the RA-EU strategic  dialogue on justice reforms in Armenia on September 27.

The Minister noted that at the moment there are problems in the  sector of justice in Armenia that need to be resolved. "After the  Velvet Revolution, one of the main tasks for the new government was  the reform of the judicial system, the most important for us is the  creation of a judicial system that would enjoy the confidence of the  citizens of the country.In addition, we want the judicial system in  Armenia to become completely independent and free. In this context,  EU assistance is very important for us, and the European Union also  helps us in other areas, namely, in the fight against corruption,  human rights protection, reforms in various areas of justice, etc.  The government is expected to ratify the Strategic Project and the  action plan included in it by the end of 2018. I hope that our  cooperation will continue to deepen and expand, "-.  Zeynalyan  concluded.

In his turn, the head of the EU delegation in Armenia, Ambassador  Piotr Switalski noted that the European Union has been cooperating  with Armenia in the field of justice for quite a long time. "We hope  that with the assistance of the EU, the justice system in Armenia  will become more efficient." After the Velvet Revolution in Armenia,  we opened a new page of our joint cooperation. "We know that one of  the primary tasks of the new government is the reform of the judicial  system in Armenia. The government made a lot of efforts to eliminate  existing problems in this area, and many achievements were recorded,  in particular, I would like to note the electronic system of justice,  which greatly simplifies the lives of many citizens and reduces  corruption risks.The most important thing in the judicial system is  the freedom of judges, so that they can make decisions not out of  fear, but on the basis of their knowledge, experience and being  guided by their conscience. In addition, it is necessary to continue  to develop the sector of human rights, fight against corruption and  make reforms in penitentiaries. "The Armenian government also  understands the importance of cooperation with the EU in this matter,  and we intend to continue and develop it," concluded Piotr Switalski.

Chief of the Regional Programs Department at the European  Commission's Directorate- Generalfor Neighborhood and Enlargement  Negotiations Vasilis Maragos  noted that a political dialogue on the  reform of the justice system will contribute to the implementation of  the Program of Action.

To note on September 26 the meeting of the steering committee of   ''Promotion and Protection of Human Rights in Armenia'' Budget  Support Programme of the European Union was held, in which Justice  Minister Artak Zeynalyan and Chief of the Regional Programs  Department at the European Commission's Directorate-Generalfor  Neighborhood and Enlargement Negotiations Vasilis Maragos took part.