Eurojust and Armenia sign Rules of Procedure for international partnership

Minister of Justice of the Republic of Armenia Grigor Minasyan, Prosecutor General Anna Vardapetyan and President of the European Union Agency for Criminal Justice Cooperation (Eurojust) Ladislav Hamran signed the Rules of Procedure for international partnership between Eurojust and the competent authorities of the Republic of Armenia in Yerevan. The signed document is a "Work Arrangement" ensuring implementation of the Agreement "On co-operation between the competent authorities in the field of legal co-operation between the Republic of Armenia and the European Union in the field of criminal proceedings of the Republic of Armenia and the European Union Agency for Criminal Justice Cooperation (Eurojust)". Minister of Justice Grigor Minasyan emphasised that this major document serves as an important guideline for strengthening the co-operation between the Republic of Armenia and the European Union in the sectors of justice and rule of law, as well as in the fight against transnational crime. According to the Minister, the Agreement will play an indispensable role in promoting sector-specific co-operation between the competent authorities of Armenia and the European Union, with the aim of fostering mutual legal assistance and the development of joint inquest strategies. Prosecutor General Anna Vardapetyan mentioned that representation of the Prosecutor General's Office of Armenia in Eurojust through the Prosecutor for Co-operation will provide an opportunity to ensure prompt communication with contact persons of EU member states and third countries that are not EU members and will, consequently, also provide an opportunity to carry out more effective international legal co-operation within the framework of criminal proceedings initiated in the Republic of Armenia. President of the European Agency for Criminal Justice Cooperation (Eurojust) Ladislav Hamran mentioned that, by signing the Agreement and appointing a Prosecutor for Co-operation, Armenia will have access to the modern Eurojust case management system, joint investigative teams, an evidence exchange platform, and a joint knowledge management platform, which serve as completely new opportunities in the fight against crime. Chairman of the State Revenue Committee of the Republic of Armenia Rustam Badasyan (former Minister of Justice of the Republic of Armenia); Deputy Minister of Justice Karen Karapetyan; Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia Paruyr Hovhannisyan; Chairperson of the Standing Committee on European Integration of the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia Arman Egoyan; Head of the Delegation of the European Union to Armenia, Ambassador Vassilis Maragos; Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Armenia in the Kingdom of Belgium, Head of Mission of the Republic of Armenia to the European Union Tigran Balayan and others attended the event. The Agreement "On co-operation between the competent authorities and Eurojust in the field of legal co-operation between Armenia and the EU in criminal proceedings" was signed on 5 April 2024 in Brussels. The Agreement was ratified by the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia on 13 September 2024 and signed by the President of the Republic of Armenia.