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On March 14, the co-rapporteurs of the Monitoring Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) on Armenia Yuliya Lovochkina and Andrej Šircelj being in Armenia on a fact finding mission had meetings with the representatives of the political forces in the parliament. The Secretary of PACE Monitoring Committee Alexis Salanson attended the meetings.

The first meeting was with the members of the Bright Armenia Faction .

The Head of the Faction Edmon Marukyan presented to the co-rapporteurs the agenda, the priorities of the Faction, particularly the positions and recommendations on transition from super-prime-ministerial system to parliamentary system and also the constitutional amendments. During the meeting a number of issues concerning the constitutional amendments, the reforms of the Electoral Code and the legislation in the sphere of human rights were also discussed.

Co-rapporteurs Yuliya Lovochkina and Andrej Šircelj also met with the members of the NA Prosperous Armenia Faction .

Naira Zohrabyan touched upon the human rights and fundamental freedoms in our country and highlighted their gradual development. The deputy considered inadmissible especially the hatred campaign towards politicians in the social network.

Mikayel Melkumyan presented the problems existing in the economic sphere and indicated the ways of their solution. According to the MP, distinct conditions are necessary for the involvement of the possible investments. Mikayel Melkumyan opined that we should make reforms in the tax legislation.

Arman Abovyan considered important the cooperation with the international structures and the effective use of the international experience in different spheres in our country.

During the meeting of the members of the RA NA My Step Faction with the co-rapporteurs of PACE Monitoring Committee on Armenia issues of political agenda of the faction was touched upon. The Head of the Faction Lilit Makunts talked about the legislative initiatives, which initiated their Faction. She also referred to the works of the elaboration of the new Electoral Code.

The co-rapporteurs were interested in the steps taken for the rise of the role of the parliamentary oversight, on which the members of the faction presented clarifications.

The members of the Standing Committee on Protection of Human Rights and Public Affairs also met with the co-rapporteurs.

The Deputy Chair of the Committee Ani Samsonyan talked about the works of the newly created Committee and the priorities and problems of the human rights. She informed that the Committee members visited the women’s criminal-executive institution and similar visits would be of continuous character, aiming at the monitoring of the problems of protection of human rights in the special institutions and criminal-executive institutions.

At the guests’ request, touching upon the situation in the sphere of freedom of speech in our country Ani Samsonyan talked about the disinformation and the hatred campaign in the mass media and social network. She emphasized the input of the inner-state mechanisms for regulating the problem. The MP also raised the item in the OSCE PA.

The problems of the criminal-executive institutions, the improvement of the probation service, the ratification of the Istanbul Convention by Armenia and other items were discussed.

Yuliya Lovochkina and Andrej Šircelj also met with the members of the RA NA Standing Committee on State and Legal Affairs.

The sides discussed issues in fight against corruption. The Committee Chair Vladimir Vardanyan has noted that the formation of the anti-corruption body is one of the prior items of the parliament and emphasized the creation of the Committee on Corruption Prevention in the near future.

The interlocutors touched upon the amendments being designed in the Criminal Code and the Criminal Procedure Code, as well as structural changes of the government.