Pashinyan presents his administration’s democratic achievements to PACE

Armenia today holds a modest but firm place among the democratic countries of Europe, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said during his speech at the plenary session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE).

Pashinyan said that “substantive changes” have been recorded in Armenia since the 2018 revolution led by him. 

He highlighted the increased involvement of women in Armenia’s public and political life, as well as economic growth.

“The number of women lawmakers in our country’s parliament has never been as high as it is today, and the number of women ministers in the Cabinet has never been greater than now. The Ministry of Internal Affairs, which is the largest law enforcement agency, the Prosecutor’s Office, and the Foreign Intelligence Service are all headed by women, which is unprecedented in our history,” Pashinyan said.

Speaking about the values of the 2018 revolution, and democracy, the Prime Minister also emphasized socio-economic indicators.

“Since 2018, Armenia’s economy has grown by about 43 percent, the country’s state budget tax revenues have more than doubled, and in terms of corruption perception, Armenia has made progress of over 40 points compared to 2018. But now our joy in these achievements has faded, because the abovementioned show that more is possible, and we must strive for more. For this, an enormous amount of work remains to be done—strengthening the independence of the judiciary, establishing a comprehensive and reliable anti-corruption system, resisting hybrid attacks targeting democracy, rooting the rule of law, enhancing the protection of human rights, and increasing public trust in the state,” Pashinyan said.

He reiterated that Armenia will continue on the path of democratic development and expressed confidence that it will receive the strong support by the Council of Europe and other institutions.