Monday, Armenian Parliament To Debate Bill Against Domestic Violence . Anush Muradian Armenia - Armenian deputy parliament speaker Arpine Hovannisian (second from right), U.S. Ambassador Richard Mills (right) and EU Ambassador Piotr Switalski (left) at a panel discussion in Yerevan, 27Nov2017. Armenian lawmakers will start formally discussing this week a controversial government bill aimed at combatting domestic violence, deputy parliament speaker Arpine Hovannisian said on Monday. The bill drafted by Armenia's Justice Ministry would introduce criminal and administrative liability for specific cases defined as "violence within families." It would also obligate the state to protect female victims against their violent spouses, including by providing them with special shelters. The initial version of the proposed legislation was backed by women's rights groups campaigning for tougher government action against the practice. But it met earlier this fall with fierce resistance from some conservative groups and nationalist public figures. Senior members of the ruling Republican Party of Armenia (HHK) added their voiced to the criticism. The HHK spokesman, Eduard Sharmazanov, demanded on November 1 that the Justice Ministry revise provisions of the bill that "contradict traditional Armenian family values." The ministry was quick to amend the draft law. According to Hovannisian, a standing committee of the Armenian parliament committee will start discussing on Thursday the amended version that has already been formally approved by Prime Minister Karen Karapetian's cabinet. The changes made in the bill address the HHK concerns, said the vice-speaker affiliated with the ruling party. Armenia - A protest against domestic violence in Yerevan, 25Nov2017. In particular, the title of the proposed legislation has been expanded to indicate that it is also aimed at "restoring solidarity within families." Women's groups have criticized this phrase, saying that "solidarity" is not a legal term and could be open to different interpretations by relevant authorities. Hovannisian insisted that this wording "does not reduce in any way our commitment to combatting violence." The Armenian authorities, she said, are simply keen to not only hold accountable those responsible for domestic violence but also minimize family breakups through "psychological counselling." Hovannisian spoke to reporters after attending a panel discussion on domestic violence with the state human rights ombudsman, Arman Tatoyan, and the ambassadors of the United States, the European Union, France and Germany to Armenia. Western governments have long encouraged the authorities in Yerevan to tackle the problem in earnest. Garik Hayrapetian, an Armenian expert with the United Nations Population Fund, said after the discussion that the amended bill puts a weaker emphasis on the rights of violence victims. "It's now weaker with regard to the purpose it is supposed to serve," he told RFE/RL's Armenian service (Azatutyun.am). The Armenian police recorded 3,571 cases of domestic violence from 2012-2016. According to the Yerevan-based Women's Resource Center, more than 50 Armenian women have been beaten to death and murdered otherwise by their husbands or other relatives in the last five years. A senior representative of the police called for the passage of the bill when she spoke at parliamentary hearings last month. Opposition Bloc Again Demands Armenia's Exit From Eurasian Union . Tatevik Lazarian Armenia - Opposition leader Edmon Marukian speaks during parliamentary hearings in Yerevan, 27Nov2017. A pro-Western opposition alliance renewed its calls for Armenia to leave the Russian-led Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) during parliamentary hearings in Yerevan on Monday. The Yelk alliance drafted in September a parliamentary declaration saying that membership in the EEU, effective from January 2015, has hurt the country's economy and security. The document was rejected by the ruling Republican Party (HHK) and the two other parties represented in the Armenian parliament. The three groups similarly blocked last month a parliamentary inquiry into consequences of the EEU membership which was demanded by Yelk. The opposition bloc responded by initiating the special hearings on its September motion demanding that the Armenian authorities embark on a "process" of invalidating their accession treaty with the EEU. "Our position hasn't changed," one of its leaders, Edmon Marukian, said during the discussion. "In order for Armenia to move forward, it is necessary to develop Armenia's economy and political system # To that end, Armenia must leave the EEU." Marukian described the EEU as a "Russian initiative that has remained on paper." "There are serious problems with free movement of goods, services and laborand there is practically no free movement of capital [within the trade bloc,]" he claimed. Armen Ashotian, the HHK-affiliated chairman of the parliament committee on foreign affairs, dismissed those arguments, saying that any regional integration "takes time." "If the European Union, which has a 60-year-old history, is still building its institutions after such a long path, it is only natural that the Eurasian Economic Union has been overcoming such difficulties for the past two or two and a half years," he said. Ashotian also said that the EEU membership has not prevented Armenia from forging closer ties with the EU. He pointed to the signing on Friday of the Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement (CEPA) between Armenia and the EU. Marukian insisted, however, that Armenian foreign policy would have been truly complementary only if Yerevan had signed a more far-reaching Association Agreement with the EU, which would have led to the creation of a "deep and comprehensive free trade area." President Serzh Sarkisian's controversial decision in 2013 to make Armenia's part of the Russian-led bloc precluded such an agreement. "There is no country that is [simultaneously] part of two free-trade areas," countered Ashotian. He also said that Armenia has managed to "steer clear of confrontational rhetoric and processes" and to base its foreign policy on the "convergence of interests" of major foreign powers. President Sarkisian and members of his government have repeatedly said that Armenia's economy has benefited from the EEU membership. In particular, they have cited double-digit increases in Armenian exports to Russia recorded in 2016 and so far this year. Yelk holds 9 seats in the 105-member National Assembly. European Body Encouraged By Yerevan's Anti-Graft Efforts . Naira Bulghadarian Armenia - A district court building in Yerevan, 27Jun2017. The Armenian authorities have made some progress in their declared fight against widespread corruption among the country's judges, an anti-graft arm of the Council of Europe said on Monday. In a February 2016 report, the Strasbourg-based Group of States Against Corruption (GRECO) described corruption as an "important problem for Armenian society." "The judiciary is perceived as being particularly prone to corruption," it said, also noting an "unsatisfactory" degree of judicial independence in Armenia. The 60-page report, based on an April 2015 fact-finding trip to Yerevan by a GRECO delegation, listed 18 policy recommendations to the Armenian authorities. In particular, it called for more powers for a state body that scrutinizes income declarations filed by judges and other senior state officials as well as their family members. "Since our report a number of steps have been taken to address issues raised by us," the GRECO secretary general, Gianluca Esposito, said after a meeting of the Council of Europe watchdog held in Yerevan. Esposito insisted that the authorities are moving "in the right direction." But he also said: "I think that the glass is half full." In that regard, the GRECO chief mentioned a new Judicial Code which the Armenian authorities are planning to enact soon. He said it will be essential for making further progress towards the greater integrity and independence of Armenian courts. Justice Minister Davit Harutiunian, who attended the GRECO meeting, also stressed the importance of the planned code. He further argued that the authorities have recently widened the circle of individuals obliged to submit income and asset declarations to a new anti-corruption commission that will start functioning in April. Harutiunian claimed that the commission will have sufficient powers to check the veracity of those disclosures and sanction officials hiding their revenues. Despite having undergone frequent structural changes over the past two decades, Armenia's judicial system is still regarded by many people as corrupt and dependent on the government. Armenia's former human rights ombudsman, Karen Andreasian, highlighted the problem in a 2013 report that accused judges of routinely taking bribes. At least four Armenian judges are known to have been arrested and prosecuted on charges of bribery over the past year. EU Envoy Upbeat On Closer Ties With Armenia . Ruzanna Stepanian Belgium - EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini and Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian sign the Armenia-EU Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement in Brussels, 24Nov2017. The head of the European Union Delegation in Yerevan, Piotr Switalski, expressed confidence on Monday that the EU and Armenia will successfully implement a newly signed agreement to deepen their political and economic relations. Switalski refused to be drawn on the EU's response to the Armenian government's possible failure to honor its new commitments stemming from the Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement (CEPA) signed in Brussels on Friday. "I don't find it appropriate to speak of sanctions or failures because I am quite optimistic that this agreement will give new impetus to our cooperation," he told a news conference. "I am always optimistic. I was optimistic months ago that this agreement will be signed this year, and I am equally optimistic about its implementation." "We will succeed. I am confident," added the diplomat. Armenia - Piotr Switalski, head of the European Union Delegation in Armenia, speaks at a ceremony in Yerevan, 20Oct2017. Citing "common values" shared by the two sides, the CEPA commits the Armenian government to implementing political reforms and "approximating" national economic laws and regulations to those of the EU. Yerevan will regularly report to Brussels on "the progress made with regard to approximation" specified by several annexes to the agreement. This "regulatory harmonization" will cover business regulation, agriculture, transport, environment, consumer protection and even energy. The 350-page document does not contain far-reaching free trade-related provisions, unlike an Association Agreement that was negotiated by Armenian and EU officials in the summer of 2013. That deal fell through after the Armenian leadership opted to join a Russian-led trade bloc. Switalski also announced that the EU plans to provide Armenia with up to 170 million euros ($200 million) in fresh economic aid by 2020. "But this does not include those opportunities that have been opened up by this agreement," he said. "I hope that we will be able to use those funds very efficiently." Speaking at Friday's signing ceremony in Brussels, the EU's foreign policy chief, Federica Mogherini, said the CEPA "will broaden the scope of our relations." "It will now be important to implement it in full, so it can deliver its full benefits," she said. "We will work together on implementation and on monitoring the implementation we will bring forward." Russia's Ruling Party Said To Back EU-Armenia Deal . Emil Danielyan Armenia - President Serzh Sarkisian (R) meets with Sergey Zheleznyak, a senior member of the ruling United Russia party, in Yerevan, 27Nov2017. A senior representative of Russia's ruling party reportedly voiced support late on Monday for Armenia's efforts to forge closer links with the European Union while maintaining its political and military alliance with Russia. Sergey Zheleznyak and three other lawmakers representing President Vladimir Putin's United Russia party met with President Serzh Sarkisian in Yerevan three days after Armenia signed the Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement (CEPA) with the EU. Sarkisian's press office quoted Zheleznyak, who is the deputy secretary of United Russia's governing board, as praising "wise and balanced" policies pursued by the Armenian government. "He stressed that Russia's ruling party stands for the principle of `both/and,' rather than `either/or,' of developing relations and cooperation," the office said in a statement. "Armenia builds its relations with the Russian Federation and the EU in that context. Therefore, according to Sergey Zheleznyak, all those views that differ from the above-mentioned position do not reflect the official approaches of Russia and its ruling party." Moscow's stance on the issue was a subject of intense media speculation in Armenia throughout two-year negotiations that preceded the signing of the CEPA in Brussels on Friday. Some pro-Western pundits in Yerevan claimed that the Kremlin could force Yerevan to pull out of the deal. Armenian officials ruled out such a possibility. Russian pressure was widely attributed to President Sarkisian's unexpected decision in 2013 to seek Armenia's accession to the Russian-led Eurasian Economic Union (EEU). The move precluded the signing of a more far-reaching Association Agreement between Armenia and the EU. RUSSIA -- Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) meets with Armenia's President Serzh Sargsyan in Moscow on November 15, 2017. While some pro-government Russian commentators expressed concern over the CEPA in recent weeks, Moscow gave no indications that it disapproves of the deal. "Armenia is a sovereign country and it has the right to enter into any agreements or blocs that do not contradict obligations assumed by it earlier," the Russian ambassador in Yerevan, Ivan Volynkin, told the Arminfo news agency on Thursday. The CEPA provisions, he said, do not run counter to Armenia's EEU membership commitments. Volynkin expressed hope that Armenia will become a "bridge of cooperation between the EU and the EEU." The Russian envoy stressed at the same time that the EU is "unable to replace Russia in providing security guarantees to Armenia." "The EU itself is dependent on NATO in that sense," he said. Armenian leaders have repeatedly stated that the alliance with Russia remains the cornerstone of Armenian foreign and security policy. Sarkisian visited Moscow and met with Putin nine days before attending the CEPA signing ceremony in Brussels. Press Review (Saturday, November 25) "Zhoghovurd" says that the Armenia political class "held its breath" up until the long-awaited signing on November 24 of Armenia's Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement (CEPA) with the European Union. "The signing of this document is undoubtedly the most important event in Armenia's political life of the last several years," comments the paper. "Having said that, positive expectations from the document are excessive and will fade away very soon." "Zhamanak" also welcomes the signing of the CEPA, saying that Europe is giving Armenia a chance to better cope with its political and economic problems. The onus, the paper says, is on Armenia to utilize that chance. "The agreement gives Armenia an alternative which is being seen anti-Russian but in reality has a totally different logical significance," it says. "It is undeniable that the Russian-Armenian relationship has degraded and become lopsided over the years. The key factor here is that the absence of an alternative for Armenia, including in the public consciousness, has led to the distortion of the architecture of the bilateral relationship. The emergence of the alternative will help to make the Russian-Armenian relationship more sound and rational." "Europe itself realizes that it will fail to achieve dramatic changes in Armenia, just as it has failed to achieve them in other ex-Soviet countries that have signed Association Agreements [with the EU,]" writes "Hraparak." "Namely, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine. This is why Europe is now takes a differentiated approach to countries knocking on its doors and is patient in its expectations." "The EU-Armenia agreement is neither a lifeline nor a cure," editorializes "Aravot." "It is an opportunity that we can use." The paper says that the EU could contribute to Armenia's democratization only "if the majority of our society really wants that." "Nobody can force us to become tolerant and broad-minded if our wish is to be narrow-minded and have prejudices and stereotypes," it says. (Anush Mkrtchian) Reprinted on ANN/Armenian News with permission from RFE/RL Copyright (c) 2017 Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, Inc. 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. www.rferl.org