New system for assessment of judges, ongoing co-operation with the Venice Commission, instrumentation to ensure effective implementation of ECHR judgements — Minister of Justice receives Head of Council of Europe Office

Minister of Justice Grigor Minasyan received newly appointed Head of the Council of Europe Office in Yerevan Maxime Longangué. At the outset of the meeting, the Minister of Justice congratulated Mr Longangué on assuming the responsible position of Head of the Council of Europe Office and expressed gratitude to the Council of Europe for the ongoing support that it has shown to the agenda of reforms for introduction of European values, criteria and procedures, establishment of the independent judicial system, establishment and strengthening of legal and anti-corruption institutional mechanisms in Armenia. The Minister also thanked Secretary General of the Council of Europe Marija Pejčinović Burić for the high level of co-operation with the Republic of Armenia, for the numerous statements made during the whole crisis of Nagorno-Karabakh for cessation of military operations, on illegal detention of prisoners of war and persons kept in confinement, the humanitarian crisis, as well as statements to support the process of demarcation between Yerevan and Baku. The Minister of Justice considered as pivotal the established sustainable co-operation with the Council of Europe bodies, particularly with the Venice Commission, the Council of Europe Group of States against Corruption (GRECO), the European Court of Human Rights, in the sub-text of ensuring effective implementation of its judgements. Head of the Council of Europe Office in Yerevan Maxime Longangué highly appreciated the level of sustainable and effective co-operation with the Ministry of Justice and expressed gratitude for the active application of advisory channels of the Council of Europe in almost all essential legal developments and for the proper realisation of their outcomes. The drafts of the legal acts of the General Directorates of the Council of Europe and the Venice Commission currently under consideration upon the request of the Ministry of Justice, particularly the drafts of the Laws “On national minorities” and “On ensuring equality and protection from discrimination”, were considered. The Council of Europe welcomes the processes of broad discussions organised in regard to these drafts. Both parties expressed satisfaction with the level of implementation (financing) of the Council of Europe Action Plan for Armenia 2023-2026, and within the scope of the Action Plan, in regard to implementation of the programmes targeted at almost the entire spectrum of the reforms agenda of the Ministry of Justice, including in the field of human rights protection, the judicial-legal sector, the anti-corruption field and the penitentiary sector. The parties touched upon the support of the Council of Europe to the process of ratification of the Statute of the International Court of Justice. The Council of Europe is willing to also be involved in the activities for organising the processes following ratification of the Statute. The parties attached special importance to the new system for performance evaluation of judges, developed jointly by the Ministry of Justice and the Supreme Judicial Council, taking into consideration the importance of the new system for ongoing development of the community of skilful judges and, as a result, ensuring independence, effectiveness of courts and higher level of trust in them. The Council of Europe is willing to provide more active support to these processes. At the end of the meeting, the parties reaffirmed their commitment to co-operate in the sectors of rule of law, democracy, as well as protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms for improvement of the quality of democracy and justice in Armenia.