Tigran Khachikyan receives newly appointed Coordinator at the Protection Unit of the Delegation of the International Committee of the Red Cross in Armenia

Today, Deputy Minister of the Republic of Armenia Tigran Khachikyan received newly appointed Co-ordinator of the Protection Affairs Unit of the Delegation of the International Committee of the Red Cross in Armenia Inske Vandormael. Former Coordinator of the Unit Zurab Burduli was also present at the meeting.

Deputy Minister Khachikyan noted that there is great potential for realisation of co-operation, particularly in the penitentiary sector. According to Tigran Khachikyan, this meeting serves as a good opportunity to discuss the existing issues and the achievements, to make an "inventory" and to propose certain solutions to the problems.

Tigran Khachikyan re-affirmed the commitment of the Ministry of Justice to enhance the existing co-operation in all directions.

Issues regarding the co-operation within the scope of the Memorandum of Understanding signed in March 2019 that were mainly related to the implementation of projects aimed at strengthening the family ties between the detained persons and their relatives and whereby the most vulnerable groups, for example, foreigners and Armenian detainees whose relatives almost do not visit them or do not visit them at all will be targeted, were discussed during the meeting. Deputy Minister Khachikyan emphasised that the vision for co-operation is fully in line with the existing Programme of the Government of the Republic of Armenia and the policy adopted in the penitentiary sector.

Touching upon the plan for a video-call service introduced at penitentiary institutions as a result of co-operation with the Delegation of the International Committee of the Red Cross in Armenia, Tigran Khachikyan highly appreciated it and discussed with the colleagues the issues regarding the introduction of new instruments for enhancing the video-call service.