ArmenPress
Sept 23 2004

GRECO MONITORING COMMISSION TO VISIT ARMENIA NEXT YEAR

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 23, ARMENPRESS: Bagrat Yesayan, a presidential
advisor on anti-corruption issues, said September 22 that a Council
of Europe Group of States against Corruption (GRECO) monitoring
commission is coming to Armenia next January of February to assess
the country’s progress in anti-corruption struggle.
Yesayan said Armenia has been monitored by the commission since
its enrollment and has prepared answers to 128 questions, including
corruption risk assessment in different government bodies. He said
GRECO will discuss next year the monitoring commission’s report on
Armenia. Armenia joined GRECO last January becoming its 37-th member.
Speaking at a special discussion on Armenia’s progress in
anti-graft process Bagratyan said the government-designed plan of
actions to crackdown on corruption has already produced some positive
results. He singled out a law on organization and conduction of
financial inspections that has established in a clear way the list of
government organizations which have the right to do so. He said 23
inspections conducted by the finance ministry in the first six months
of this year revealed 174 million dram worth abuses part of which was
restored.
According to Bagratian, though the relevant Armenian legislation
was brought in conformity with European standards its application
still faces some problems.