The Council of Europe continues supporting Armenian authorities in developing procedures and capacities related to the investigation of corruption crimes by using international cooperation means.
On 11-12 March 2021, the Project on “Strengthening institutional capacities to fight and prevent corruption in Armenia” organised a workshop to discuss international cooperation in criminal matters and mutual legal assistance with concerned Armenian authorities, in light of international standards and practices through Council of Europe expertise. The discussion aimed to address questions previously posed by the Armenian government and requiring further clarification, especially in the framework of the implementation of the recently adopted Law on Civil Forfeiture of Illegal Assets. Participants included representatives of different authorities dealing with asset recovery, such as the General Prosecutor’s Office, the Ministry of Justice, the Armenian FIU within the Central bank of Armenia, and Investigative Law enforcement bodies.
Organised around the topics related to pre-MLA enquiries, on the one hand, and MLA requests on the other hand, the workshop enabled discussions and exchange of knowledge on practical issues related to international cooperation, information on asset recovery interagency networks, and the preparation, requirements and submission of formal MLA requests, based on international best practices and Armenian legislation. This event represents one step within a series of activities aimed towards building the capacity of Armenian institutions to make relevant and effective use of both spontaneous and formal international cooperation mechanisms to better tackle economic crime and recover proceeds from crime.
This activity was organised in the framework of the project "Strengthening institutional capacities to fight and prevent corruption in Armenia”, funded by the European Union and the Council of Europe, implemented by the Council of Europe in their Partnership for Good Governance II Programme.
