The President and Vice-President of the ALA met with the Deputy European Chief Prosecutor

Within the framework of the 8th International Symposium of Hong Kong Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC), Mr. Karen Zadoyan, member of the Anti-Corruption Policy Council, Coordinator of the Secretariat of CSO Anti-Corruption Coalition of the RA, President of the Armenian Lawyers’ Association (ALA), and Mr. Marat Atovmyan, Anti-Corruption Expert of the Coalition, Vice-President of the ALA, met with Mr. Petr Klement, Deputy European Chief Prosecutor of the EU.

During the meeting Karen Zadoyan presented the course of the anti-corruption reforms in Armenia and the system of anti-corruption institutional bodies. In particular the scope of activities of the Corruption Prevention Commission, the Investigative Committee, the Anti-Corruption units of the RA Prosecutor’s Office, the powers of the RA Anti-Corruption judicial system, the CSO Anti-Corruption Coalition of Armenia and the Armenian Lawyers’ Association. He also spoke about the institutional cooperation of the Coalition with the RA Prosecutor’s Office.

Further, Marat Atovmyan presented the problems of the system of anti-corruption institutional bodies and the scope of possible cooperation.

The representatives of the Armenian delegation told Petr Klementi that the CSO Anti-Corruption Coalition of Armenian was created within the framework of the “Multi-Faceted Anti-Corruption Promotion” project funded by the European Union and implemented by the Armenian Lawyers’ Association in 2014-2016.

Deputy European Chief Prosecutor of the EU Mr. Petr Klement, presented to the Armenian side the scope of the functions of the EU Public Prosecutor’s Office, referring to the initiation of proceedings on the committed crimes, for the purpose of protecting the interests of the EU, conducting investigations, as well as calling for responsibility. The functions of EU Public Prosecutor’s Office include the implementation of criminal prosecutions and the performance of prosecutorial functions in the courts of EU member states.

In response to the offer of the Armenian side regarding the cooperation with the RA Prosecutor’s Office and the CSO Anti-Corruption Coalition of Armenia, Mr. Klement expressed his willingness to discuss with the European Chief Prosecutor Ms Laura Kövesi the possibility of hosting the representatives of the RA Prosecutor’s Office and the CSO Anti-Corruption Coalition of the RA at the European Public Prosecutor Office (EPPO), EU in Luxembourg.

At the end of the meeting, Mr. Zadoyan gave Mr. Petr Klement a souvenir with the symbol of the CSO Anti-Corruption Coalition of Armenia, in order to hand it over to the European Chief Prosecutor Ms Laura Kövesi.

Please note the 8th International Symposium of the Hong Kong Independent Anti-Corruption Commission (ICAC), which was dedicated to the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the Commission, was held in the period of 22 through 24 May, 2024.

It was co-organized by the International Association of Anti-Corruption Authorities (IAACA) and the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) of Hong Kong, China.

500 participants from 60 countries are present at the Symposium.