Minister of Justice in Venice

Minister of Justice of the Republic of Armenia Artak Zeynalyan is on a working visit to Venice upon the invitation of the European Commission for Democracy through Law (the Venice Commission).

Today, Minister Zeynalyan met with President of the Venice Commission Gianni Buquicchio. During the meeting, the Minister expressed his gratitude for the effective co-operation of the Venice Commission with the Government. The parties recorded that there was a mutual will and potential to deepen the co-operation.

Minister Zeynalyan reaffirmed the willingness of the Government to co-operate with the Commission much more effectively. 

The President of the Commission noted that the Commission had accepted, with great excitement, the peaceful nature of changes having taken place in Armenia.

Then, Minister Zeynalyan delivered a speech at the 115^th plenary session of the Venice Commission. In his speech, Zeynalyan mentioned that the priority mission of the Government of Armenia is to bring to life the inviolable constitutional right of the people to establish power, ensuring the legal mechanisms necessary for it and all the other possible conditions that can contribute to that.

The Minister added that, with the view to accomplishing the mission, the Government intends to undertake reforms in the electoral legislation with the purpose of holding snap parliamentary elections in accordance with the requirements of the Constitution. The Government Programme has been approved, stipulating the need for snap parliamentary elections in the course of one year.

After the speeches of Minister of Justice Artak Zeynalyan and Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly Arpine Hovhannisyan, President of the Venice Commission of the Council of Europe Gianni Buquicchio noted that it was important that the elections were organised in line with the principles of the Venice Commission - in a transparent and inclusive manner, discussing all the recommendations of the interested parties with the view to reaching consensus and so that political parties have ample time to participate in the elections after adoption of the Electoral Code.

Minister Zeynalyan summed up the section of the Commission’s plenary session regarding Armenia, noting that during the development of the package of amendments to the electoral legislation, the concerns raised by interested political forces and representatives of civil society would be taken into consideration, discussed in detail and addressed during the development of draft legislative amendments, and that his Government would guarantee maximum inclusiveness and transparency of these activities.